


An Angel, A Demon, and the One Caught in-between

by Islandic_Princess



Series: Nct's Supernatural Universe [1]
Category: NCT (Band), Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Abusive tendencies, F/M, Felix and Hyunjin deserved better than side roles, Flashbacks are used a lot as a better insight to certain behaviors/mind sets, Jaehyun only cares for like three people in this universe, Jeno is also an asshole at times, M/M, Minor Character Deaths, PLEASE READ WARNINGS!!, Renjun deserved better tbh, Self Harm, Slow updates since I only have two days off a week from work, Sorry Not Sorry, Taeyong is an asshole without remorse, Toxic Relationships, Werewolves without a/o/b dynamics, and panic attacks, graphic depictions of injuries, implied major character death, lots of pov switches, self destructive tendencies, underage drinking/smoking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:14:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 25,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27944381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Islandic_Princess/pseuds/Islandic_Princess
Summary: Things were going perfect until they weren't.Jaemin had found the perfect boyfriend with an accepting family that adored him as their own. He was close to graduating high school and continuing his schooling for a degree in whatever he saw fit. He was happy. He was content. Until things took a turn.His life was rapidly changed before his eyes as a new figure entered his life. His relationship began to shift, with holes forming in its seams. Where he sought comfort before, he now only found phantom memories.As the years pass, the lies his relationships were founded on, begin to form web like cracks leaving him rushing to put everything back before he loses it all.WARNINGS; TOXIC RELATIONSHIPS, ABUSIVE TENDENCIES, UNDERAGE DRINKING/SMOKING, IMPLIED MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH, GRAPHIC DEPICTIONS OF INJURIES, SELF HARM, SELF DESTRUCTIVE TENDECIES, and PANIC ATTACKS
Relationships: Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Suh Youngho | Johnny, Huang Ren Jun/Hwang Hyunjin, Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin, Huang Ren Jun/Na Jaemin, Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Lee Taeyong, Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Qian Kun, Kim Jungwoo/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Lee Felix, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin, Lee Jeno/Original Female Character(s), Park Jisung/Zhong Chen Le
Series: Nct's Supernatural Universe [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2046401
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> This story is mostly from Jaemins pov, however it does change to Jeno and Renjuns povs depending on the scene. There are also other povs used throughout every so often. 
> 
> This story is also a rewrite of "Vampires, Hunters, Humans, Oh MY!" I've decided to take each ship and make their own versions based on the universe created in the original story. Therefore, some scenes will be repeated in other parts based on their importance. 
> 
> AGAIN I ASK YOU TO PLEASE TAKE THE WARNINGS INTO CONSIDERATION. 
> 
> WARNINGS; TOXIC RELATIONSHIPS, ABUSIVE TENDENCIES, UNDERAGE DRINKING/SMOKING, IMPLIED MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH, GRAPHIC DEPICTIONS OF INJURIES, SELF HARM, SELF DESTRUCTIVE TENDECIES, and PANIC ATTACKS
> 
> As I only have two days off from work a week, The updates will be a bit on the slow side.

Jaemin had always hated parties. They were too loud and too filled with people. He couldn’t walk even three steps without someone else shoving him or screaming in his ear. Yet Jeno said it would be a blast. A great way to celebrate before senior year started and to welcome the beginnings of summer break. 

  
Jaemin hated the way his nose burnt from the heavy scent of alcohol and smoke. He was sure Taeyong would get at him in the morning for “stinking up the house.” He couldn’t bring himself to care as he searched the crowded halls for his boyfriend. The last time he saw the older, had been in the kitchen before Donghyuck had dragged his twin off and into the crowd. Before long, the teen found himself back where he had started, the empty kitchen. Jaemin let out a heavy sigh as he grabbed what he assumed to be a beer from an open cooler full of ice. 

  
Popping the top, he tipped the bottle back as the amber liquid poured down his throat. It burned and nearly made him gag, but he welcomed the warmth that followed soon after. They’d only arrived about an hour prior and Jaemin had no idea of what to do. He had very few friends before he dated the older male, and even fewer now as they either were too old or too young to attend the party. Quickly finishing the bottle, he grabbed another and soon he was on his third. Before he could make a grab for a fourth, a hand grabbed his wrist and turned him around. 

  
“What's a pretty thing like yourself doing alone at a party? And in the kitchen of all places?” Jaemin squinted at the figure, his vision blurring from the alcohol in his system. The lights weren’t helping any either as they continued to change color every few seconds. 

  
“J-Jen..?” His voice was hoarse as he slurred the name. Something in his head kept screaming danger but his body took too long to respond as he was pulled away from the other party goers. “Nono, I...I wanna..go home.” He hiccupped as he tried to not stumble over his feet. There was a chuckle from in front of him before a loud thump was heard. The hand on his wrist was replaced by an arm wrapping around his waist. 

  
“Lets go home nana. I think you’ve had one too many love.” The teen could only hum as he was lifted bridal style and carried through the crowd. 

  
~~

  
When he came too, Jaemin let out a pained groan. His neck was sore, the pain only spiking when he tried to roll it. As he sat up, the room began to spin before settling seconds later. Looking around, he noticed he was back in Jeno’s bedroom, the only light coming from the desks lamp. He managed to swing his legs over the edge of the bed as he pushed himself to stand. It took grabbing the headboard to keep from toppling over, before Jaemin could properly walk. He made his way to the bathroom in hopes of washing the disgusting taste in his mouth out. The sound of the bedroom door opening, drew his attention as he carefully made his way back to the bed. 

  
“How you feeling Nana?” Jenos voice broke through the foggy haze that was Jaemins mind. 

  
“Tired..and my neck hurts.” He softly whined as he sat back down on the bed. 

  
“You fell asleep in the car. You must’ve slept weirdly. Will cuddles make it feel better?” It’s a joke that’s meant to mean no harm, yet Jaemin can feel his eyes watering with unshed tears. “Nana?” The alarm in the olders voice is all it takes for the damn to break and for a flood of tears to stream down his cheeks. “Baby. what’s wrong? I didn’t mean to upset you.” 

  
“I-I don’t know. I was fine a minute ago but now...I don’t know,” Jaemin whispers, body suddenly drained of energy. He let’s Jeno pull him onto his lap as he gently rocks them, soothing Jaemin in the process. The room is quiet besides the occasional sniffle from the younger of the two. It seems as if time has slowed not wanting the sun to rise. “Nono..” There’s a soft hum from above him in response. “Do, do you think you could turn me?” There’s clear hesitation from the older causing Jaemins nerves to ignite in fear. He doesn’t understand why, as this isn’t the first time he's asked. Yet, he can’t seem to remember Jenos response from the times before. 

“Why does my Minnie want to be turned?” There’s a calmness to his words that set off a red light in Jaemins head. Something isn’t right, it tells him. A small whisper among many thoughts. Be cautious, it whispers before fading out as his ears fill with the rushing of blood.  _ When had his heart beat picked up so quickly? _ He thinks to himself. 

  
“I’ve been thinking about it,” It’s a lie and he knows it, “you’ve always talked about spending forever with me. But we can’t do that if I grow old and you never do. Forever is a long time for you nono, but for me, it’s only another 60 or so years.” 

  
It’s quiet, too quiet. Not even the wind outside dares to make a noise as it could set off the beast. 

  
“Nothing good will come from turning Min.” Again, the voice whispers warnings, only this time it’s right into his ears. It sounds like his own voice but he knows it’s not. 

  
“I’ll get to spend forever with you. With the others. There won’t come a day where we have to say goodbye. No worrying about when the end will arrive. Just me, you, and all the time in the world.” Jaemin pretends not to see the way Jenos eyes flicker. The tell tale sign that the older is about to feed. “Please? I’ll beg if I have to. I won’t stay this young and pretty forever Jeno.” 

  
He feels the familiar pricking of fangs digging into his skin before his brain can catch up. He can see the way silver slowly takes over once warm brown orbs, now cold and empty. There’s a trickle of red that stains the edge of Jaemins white t-shirt but he pays it no mind. A sigh is pulled from his trembling lips as the sharp set of fangs dig deeper into the juncture where his neck and shoulder meet. He vaguely registers the arms around his waist tightening to keep him upright as he slumps back against the olders chest. Jaemin never enjoyed watching himself be fed from, it just never sat right in his mind. But this one time, he pays as close attention as he can. The way Jeno looks heavenly when he pulls away, lips stained red, fangs shining brightly in the moonlight. It all looks beautiful in his eyes as darkness overtakes him. 

  
//

  
Jeno lays the younger teen down on their shared bed as he lets out a sigh. He knew this was a bad idea as his older brother was extremely against turning people unless absolutely necessary. Wiping his mouth on the back of his hand, Jeno stepped away from the bed and made his way down the hall. If he knew anything about the older, it’d be best to check the office on the first floor. It only took him a minute to reach the grand double doors. Taking a second to calm his racing thoughts, Jeno pulled one of the doors open. When he stepped inside, he was met with a pile of papers strewn across the desk. To his right was his brother's boyfriend, legs kicked up on a table as he stared at the ceiling. 

  
“Tae, we have a problem.” There was silence from the elder as he continued to look through some files. “Tae?” He waited for a response but still didn’t get one. “Taeyong, this is serious. I’d appreciate it if you looked up for a minute.” Jeno nearly growled out. 

“Everything with you is a serious matter even if it’s not.” Came his brother's voice, yet he still didn’t look up. “Last week it was Hyuckie forgetting to pick you up from school. Yesterday it was Jaemin wearing your favorite jacket to school. What’s so important that you need to bother me at 2am?” The sound of shuffling seemed to make his ears ring. 

  
“I turned Jaemin.” Silence. All sound came to a halt at his confession. “Please say something?” He was beginning to grow nervous at the lack of reaction from the older. 

  
“Man, it was nice knowing you Jen. I’ll tell the kids you went out in a blazing glory. Anything you want on your tombstone?” Jeno gulped as he turned to the other male. 

  
“Jae that’s not funny...please don’t joke.” 

  
“Oh, I’m not. Yong looks ready to murder you and we both know how he get’s when he’s serious.” A loud slam has Jeno flinching as he moves away from the door. 

  
“Jaehyun, call Kun and Ten.” Jeno watches as his brother storms towards the door before stopping to point at him. “I’m telling you this now so listen closely cause I could murder you right about now Lee Jeno. You so much as leave that boy alone, or do anything to harm him, I swear I’ll make your life an absolute hell.” Jeno nods quickly as he hears Taeyongs footsteps echo down the hall. He’s about to follow after the older, but is stopped by a hand on his wrist. 

  
“It’s best if you stay in our room until he wakes.” Jaehyuns voice sounds void, almost empty. “You’ll want to be with each other, but trust me when I say, this is best for both of you.” Jeno merely nods, still trying to process how angry Taeyong was. 

  
~~

  
The first day passed without much worry. Jeno had been able to keep himself distracted with school work and Donghyucks non stop questioning. The second day became more difficult as the hours passed. Jeno could feel Jaemin had woken, the bond between them alerting him to every feeling the younger passed. By the time Donghyuck was forced to leave him alone, Jeno could no longer handle being away from his mate. 

  
His irritation must have been the give away as he was dragged to the basement by Taeyong. The older must not have cared for Jenos growls and screams of anger as he remained stone faced. The collar placed around his neck kept him from moving more than a few inches away from the wall. The cuffs placed around his wrists and ankles kept him from kicking up a fight if anyone got too close. 

  
The third day was the hardest. He was forced to listen to his twin ramble on and on about how his mate hadn’t been paying him any attention the past few hours having needed to study for a test. Jeno couldn’t handle the annoying whines. A low growl rumbled in his chest catching the redhead off guard. 

  
“Well damn, don’t growl at me. I’m not the one that fucked up. At least I had a reason to turn my mate.” The smug look on the others face only caused Jenos eye to twitch. 

  
“You only got lucky your pathetic mate survived.” The pure rage in his voice had left his twin stunned, eyes glossy from the sudden memory. “Taeyong would’ve left him out in the alley way if he didn’t treat you like some baby constantly. Even Jisung is more of an adult than you.” 

  
“Why are you being such an ass? I’ve done nothing to you or Jaemin. I don’t even want to be stuck watching you. I especially don’t want to be your twin that's for sure.” Donghyuck quickly wiped his eyes clear of any tears threatening to fall. Jeno only glared at him, the chains rattling as he pulled on them. 

  
“Then leave. No one wants you here anyway. You just get in everyone's way to begin with. Not even dad or mom wanted you. I bet Mark would leave you the second he found someone better. After all, you’re replaceable, right?” Jenos chest swells with pride at the way the younger's lips tremble, hands forming fists as he tries to not cry. “Lee Donghyuck, the family disappointment. Not a single thought passed of you once you become a teen. Forgotten and left to rot by your lonesome.” A sting sends a shiver through Jenos body as he catches his tongue on the edge of his fangs causing a small tear. 

  
“That's enough Jeno. Another word and I’ll put a muzzle on your mouth.” Their brother's voice echoes around the stone basement before they can even see him. “Donghyuck, Mark’s been asking for you to join him. He needs help with his history project and you’re better at detailed things.” Donghyuck nods before quickly leaving the room as a lone tear slips down his cheek. Jeno cackles at the way the younger reminds him of a rabbit running from the hunt. 

  
“Taeyongie~ please let me out of these. They hurt.” Jeno says coldly, eyes looking the older over. “You smell like my Minnie. Why do you smell like him?” The way Taeyong rolls his eyes as if annoyed makes Jeno angry as he yanks on the chains. They don’t give way under his strength even when he continues to pull. 

  
“They won’t break Jeno. I had them made specially for you after we first moved here. Of course you won’t remember that dear little brother. But the rest of us remember oh so clearly.” Jeno looks at him in confusion as a hand is placed on his head. Taeyongs thumb presses into the skin between his eyes before he goes limp. 

  
~~

  
When he comes to, it’s hours later. His neck and wrists burn from where the chains had been pressing into his skin. The smell of his mate draws his attention to the lone chair by the stairs. He can barely make out the figure of his brother sitting, book in hand. 

  
“I was beginning to think you’d never come to. I even had Kun come and look you over. He said you were fine. But you never know after all.” The sound of clothes rustling sets Jeno on alert as Taeyong stands. 

  
“You smell like Nana..” His voice is weak as he gulps trying to get rid of the dry feeling in his mouth. “Why do you smell like him?” 

  
“He woke a little earlier than expected.” There’s a small smile on Taeyongs face as he kneels in front of Jeno. “He cried and screamed for you once he realized you weren’t coming back. He should be asleep right now since Jaehyuns been keeping him company.” Jeno lightly pulls on the chains around his wrist. 

  
“Can I please see him hyung? I miss my Nana…” There’s a moment of silence before the collar around his neck is being removed. 

  
“Sure baby. You won’t be hurting him any time soon.” Jeno lets out a noise of confusion at the olders words. 

  
“Why would I hurt nana?” The sound of metal hitting the stone distracts him as he slowly stands with Taeyongs help. 

  
“He’s going to be really hungry and confused. Take things slow and ease him into feeding. His fangs won’t fully be in until a week, possibly two, from now.” Jeno weakly nods as he tries to rub the pain from his wrists and neck. Once he’s able to stand on his own, he makes his way up the stairs and towards the second floor. The closer he gets, the more Jaemins scent begins to flood his senses.

  
//

  
Jaemin whimpered as his body suddenly felt like it was being lit aflame. Nothing seemed to make the pain ease, or the dryness in his throat. He cried and screamed, but Jaehyun merely ran his fingers through his hair and rubbed his back. It was like the older couldn’t see the pain he was in, or for a better understanding, ignored it. He shoved the older away, shocking himself for a moment before regaining his composure and climbing out of the bed. Everything smelled too much like Jeno, yet at the same time smelled too little. All he wanted was the older yet, it seemed like they were keeping him from getting just that. 

  
“Jaeminnie come lay back down. You aren’t well enough to be walking around.” He ignored Jaehyuns attempts of luring him back to the bed. It had worked the day prior as he was way too out of it. His brain had mistaken the older for Jeno and they had used it to their advantage. But Jaemin was clear headed, and knew better. “Jaeminnie, I’m serious. You haven’t fed yet, your body is too weak to support you for much longer.” As if on cue, Jaemin could feel his knees buckling as he went tumbling towards the floor. 

  
“Hyung!” His body tensed up as it waited for an impact that wasn’t coming. An arm around his waist sobered his thoughts as he opened his eyes. Jaehyun was standing in front of him, an unimpressed look on his face. “Sorry..” The word was whispered as Jaemin was hauled up so he was standing again, only this time leaning his weight on the other. 

  
“Why are you children so stubborn? I’ve never met people so full of themselves.”  Jaemin quickly looked down as he could feel a stinging in his eyes. The door to the room opened then, and all his mind could focus on was _Jeno_. 

  
“Nana, c’mere love. Taeyongie said you’d be really hungry.” Jaemin let out a small sob as he held his arms out trying to reach for the other. 

  
“Nono make it stop, pl-please?” His voice broke as he hiccupped. As soon as he was safe in his boyfriend's arms, his body finally relaxed. The pain didn’t fully vanish, but it was bearable compared to before. 

  
“I’d feed him as soon as possible Jeno. He’s already gone three days.” With that, he watched Jaehyun leave as the door was shut behind him. Jaemin let himself be picked up as he was placed back down on the bed, the fluffy blankets being placed over him. Once Jeno had laid next to him, he curled into the olders side, face hidden in the black t-shirt his boyfriend was wearing. 

  
“Nana..” fingers gently combed through his hair, occasionally slipping down his back before returning. “I know you don’t like blood, and I’m so sorry baby, but you need to feed.” Jaemin knew Jeno was trying to reason with him. But he was too tired from everything. He just wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep and never wake. “It’ll make your throat feel better, and the pain here,” he could feel a finger lightly poking his chest were his heart was located, “will go away too. It’ll make you feel so, so much better. I promise you can sleep right after. Just a little is all I ask.” 

  
“I-I can’t,” he can feel the arm wrapped around his waist lifting causing him to shiver as he curls further in on himself. Seconds pass before the heavy scent of iron is flooding his senses. It causes his teeth to hurt, and head to spin as he looks up. There’s a gash in Jenos wrist as a dark red liquid streams from the injury forming small droplets. Jaemin can hear the soft splashes that sound as they land on his cheek just under his eye, then lower barely missing the corner of his lips. His once brown eyes quickly turn silver as his hunger rapidly grows. 

  
“Feed Minnie.” It's an order that he can’t seem to ignore as his body moves against his own will. He commands himself to pull away, to go back to hiding but nothing works. It’s like watching some unknown force take control of him while he himself is still forced to experience everything. He can feel his lips parting, tongue darting out to lick the thin river of blood clean. 

  
The taste is heavenly as he lets it wash over his tongue and trickle down his throat. 

_  
It’s gross and vile. Inhumane and disgraceful for someone of your being. _ The voice from the night of the party whispers in his ear. There’s a smirk on Jenos face as if he knows something the younger doesn’t. Like there’s a secret only he himself can spill, but would rather take it too the grave. 

  
“Such a pretty little thing aren’t you? All mine for the rest of forever.” Jaemin whines, it’s high in his throat as he licks the cut like he's a starving man having his first meal in weeks. His lips press against cold skin as his mouth is flooded with the heavenly scarlet liquid. “He must be stupid to leave you all alone with me after everything I’ve done.” Something passes in Jenos eyes as his smirk grows. The whisper suddenly returns, louder than before but Jaemin blocks it out. 

  
When he wakes, he’ll have no memory of the way Jeno looks at him like a mad man looks at their victim. He won’t be able to recall how the bruises got on his thighs or how his skin is now littered in small cuts, dried scarlet left for him to clean.   
  
  
He’ll merely smile and tell Taeyong and Jaehyun that Jeno was the sweetest boyfriend and made sure he was comfortable and felt safe. That the older understood his dislike towards blood and only made him feed enough to ease the pain. They’ll believe him and Jeno will shyly smile, cheeks rosy as he tries to stop his twin from cracking jokes at his expense, no memory of what he’s done to either of them.


	2. II

What had felt like three weeks, had turned out to actually be three months. Jaemin wasn’t sure why time seemed to be flying him by, but he wasn’t mad about it. What he was mad at, was how Jeno had waited until the last minute to inform him the older would be leaving with his brothers regarding family matters. 

_  
It’d only be two weeks,” _ He had said. But Jaemin was petty and so he laid curled up in their shared bed. He ignored any attempt the older made to try and talk to him. 

  
“Nana, love, the sweetest person I’ve ever met,” he simply buried himself deeper into the cocoon of blankets he had stolen. “Nana please talk to me. I don’t wanna leave you upset and angry.” 

  
“Don’t you have some packing to be doing.” Jaemin grumbled as he eyed the empty suitcase that lay abandoned on the edge of the bed. “Taeyong will be mad if you make him late.” 

  
“Forget about him. I hate when you’re upset. Please let me make it up to you? I still have an hour until Tae comes and checks on my packing.” He didn’t make a move to untangle himself, even when the bed dipped behind him. “At least feed? You’ve been avoiding it all day and you know that’s not good for you, love.” 

  
“Go pack and leave me alone.” The bed dipped again from the loss of weight as Jeno went back to gathering his clothes. Jaemin didn’t need to turn around to know the older was frowning. The only sounds that filled their room were the rustling of clothes and the zipping of a zipper. He could hear a faint sigh as the bed dipped indicating Jeno had sat down. Mere seconds later, the door opened causing Jaemin to sit up to see who it was. 

  
“Why’s my baby upset?” The sound of Taeyongs voice brought a small smile to Jaemins lips. 

  
“He’s upset we’re leaving and won’t talk to me or feed.” Fingers gently combed through his hair as he rolled his eyes. 

  
“I told you to talk to him a week ago Jeno. But as always, you don’t listen.” Taeyong stepped over to the bed and began looking through Jenos suitcase to ensure nothing important would be forgotten. “Nana, Jaehyun agreed to let you feed from him. Ten won’t be around much since he has a photoshoot tomorrow with Johnny. He should be back on Friday but if you need him, don’t hesitate to call. Ji will need you to walk him to practice after school tomorrow since Chenle and Kun are visiting family for dinner.” Jaemin watched as Taeyong began to fold the clothes Jeno had thrown into the suitcase. “Mark mentioned something about a school project so he won’t be around much after school but he promised to check on you around evening. If you need a ride to school ask him, he agreed to give you a lift.” Jaemin nodded as the eldest turned to look at him, a small smile of his own. 

  
“I’ll be fine Taeyongie. If anything, it’s Jaehyun you should be worried about. He’ll probably try to bake something as a little welcome back gift.” Taeyongs eyes darkened at the mention of his boyfriend using his kitchen. 

  
“I’ve already told Ten and Kun to deal with him if he so much as steps foot in my kitchen while we’re gone. He knows better.” The conversation quickly died out as Jaemin was unsure of what to say seeing as his joke seemed to trigger something in the older. 

  
~~

  
When it was time for the trio of brothers to leave, Jaemin made sure to give them each a hug, and maybe Jeno got a quick cheek kiss but he won’t admit to it. It took a little longer than planned for them to actually leave as Donghyuck had thrown a fit that he had to leave Mark behind. But once they were gone, the house fell into relieved sighs. Everyone seemed to go about their own thing as soon as the car had left the driveway. Jaemin watched as Jisung collapsed onto the nice couch with his phone, a game already opened ready to play. Mark flopped down on the rug, arm over his eyes as he grinned while Jaehyun lightly kicked the younger males side. 

  
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look so relieved Mark..” Jaehyun muttered as he continued to lightly kick the other. 

  
“You spend just over a year with Hyuck being glued to your side. It’s like peace and personal space stops existing. I love the kid, but damn, sometimes I need a minute to myself before I blow a casket.” There’s a snort from his right as the front door opens. 

  
“Man, I think Jaemin has it worse. At least Hyuck doesn’t ask you a million questions a day about what you were doing and who you were with.” Jaemin lifts his hands to cover the red tint that’s taken over his cheeks. 

  
“Lucas~!” His whine for the older is ignored as said male just grins at him. 

  
“Since the three devils are gone, I’ll be hanging out here. Woo doesn’t want me home anymore. Says I’m driving him crazy with the constant singing.” There’s a chorus of snickers and chuckles from around the room. 

  
“If I was forced to spend every second of my day with you, I would’ve ended it a lot sooner.” Jaemins eyes widen at Marks comment but nobody else seems to notice as they all crack up, including Lucas. It wasn’t long before he grew bored of listening to the group complain and whine about having to find their own means to feed. While they were distracted, he slipped out of the lounge and upstairs to the small library. 

  
~~

  
It didn’t even take Jaemin three days before he found reading boring. He’d already spent a good number of hours playing games with Jisung and Mark, baked some cookies and brownies for the bake sale at the local church, and even managed to rearrange the bedroom. If this kept up, he wouldn't make it. He slumped down in his chair as his history teacher drowned on and on about some war they were learning about. Jaemin couldn’t bring himself to focus as lunch was next period. He had somehow managed to talk Jaehyun into filling a small water bottle with blood so he could at least feed duringing lunch. He didn’t really like the idea of feeding from anyone except Jeno, but he had to figure something out, and this was the next best thing. 

  
When the bell finally rang, he took his time to pack his things up before slipping from the classroom. As he made his way down the empty halls, he struggled to decide on where he was going to spend the next two hours. He had an open during the next period, and he usually spent it on the roof or in the courtyard with Jeno, but it had been raining since early morning. Sighing, he came to a stop outside a science lab. He didn’t bother to check if it was empty as he turned the handle. At first it seemed like he was the only one there as he shut the door behind him. However, when he turned back around, there was another student sitting at the farthest lab bench, book in hand while two more sat around him. 

  
“Oh, um, sorry. I didn’t know anyone else came down here during lunch. I can leave if you’d like.” A sheepish smile tugged at his lips as he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. The stranger gave him a once over before turning back to his book. 

  
“I don’t own the lab. Do as you please but try to keep on the quieter side if you can.” Jaemin quickly made his way over to the lone table by the windows. The rain had let up some, but still not enough to warrant going outside. After staring out the window for a few minutes, he pulled out the metal water bottom from his bag and carefully set it down before pulling out a book of his own. 

  
He was able to read a few chapters before a headache began to set in. He’d been reading so much lately, that his eyes began to blur if he stared at the pages for too long. A soft hum from behind him caught his attention as he looked over his shoulder. The other teen had stopped reading at some point and had switched to his phone. 

  
“Did your parents ever teach you that staring is rude?” Jaemin whipped his head back towards his book as he tried to not draw anymore attention to himself. “I’m Renjun by the way. Figured if we’re going to share a room for an hour, might as well tell you my name.” 

  
“J-Jaemin..” Jaemin mentally cursed himself for stuttering as he packed the book up figuring he won’t get anymore reading done. 

  
“You’re friends with Jeno and Donghyuck right?” He slowly nodded as he looked at Renjun again. “Are they as bad as everyone claims? Or is it just for show?” 

  
“Um,” Jaemin had to take a second to think the question over as his brows furrowed together in confusion. “I mean Jeno is nothing but a sweetheart. Of course he gets a little angry when it comes to his brothers. Hyuckie on the other hand doesn’t stray far from the rumors I suppose. He’s not some hot headed fool though. He always thinks things over before speaking, but again like Jeno, he's different when his brothers are involved.” He watches as Renjun nods, eyes still glued to his phone as he types something. 

  
“The Lee twins are indeed something else. What about the boy, Mark is it?” Jaemin scowls as he licks his lips, mouth suddenly dry. 

  
“May I ask why you’re so intrigued with my boyfriend and his family?” The quirk of the others lips had Jaemin on edge as he leaned back.  _ When had he gotten that close? _ He panics as Renjun looks him over more closely. 

  
“Rumors interest me. I like to figure out if they’re true or not and rumor has it, those twins aren’t all they seem to be. And Donghyucks boyfriend is just as bad. Even more dangerous than the worst criminals.” Jaemin gulps as Renjun gets even closer. “You’re so easy to work up.” There's a chuckle from the older as he steps back. “Hope I didn’t spook you too much. I don’t actually care about those twins. Just thought I’d mess with you.” 

  
It takes Jaemin a moment to recover as he tries to calm his racing thoughts. Within that time, Renjun had pulled a chair up to the table and sat down, book now between his hands again. They remained in silence, Renjun having gone back to reading while Jaemin stared at the cover. He was startled when the book suddenly tipped so he was now looking at the backside. 

  
“What’s caught your attention? It’s just an old worn down book.” Jaemin tried to play his interest off as he shrugged. “Vampires aren’t anything special. They’ve been around for centuries and nothing about them changes. What might’ve captured your interest Jaemin?” 

  
“It’s not every day you see someone reading a book of lore's on the supernatural.” The smile on his face is forced and by the look on Renjuns, it’s evident he can tell. “Aren’t teens our age interested in things that are scandalous and violent like video games?”

  
“I suppose,” there’s a shrug from the older as he places the book back in his bag. “But I’m not like others our age. I prefer the dark and gory side of things.” Before Jaemin can respond, a bell is ringing and Renjun is gone within a blink of an eye. With a curse under his breath, he pulls his phone from his pocket and dials the first number he sees. He says a small prayer before leaving and making his way to the parking lot. If he’s lucky, he can sleep off today's events and act like they never happened. 

  
~~

  
Except the universe, who had other plans for him, disagreed. He had spent the following two days trying to ignore the older during lunch. He even kept to the small table under the windows while doing any school work handed to him. It wasn’t until Thursday when Jaemin realized he couldn’t keep ignoring the older. The voice had come back the night prior, whispering empty promises of happiness and protection. He had ignored them as best as he could. But something had finally given in as he stood. 

_  
“Go child of mine…” _

_  
“He’ll protect you from the monster under the sheets...” _

  
“ _ Aid him child, and you’ll receive something just as grand…” _

  
Jaemins hand closed around the back of the chair Renjun was sitting on. The metal felt oddly warm as he tightened his hold. “ _ Life swims in it child,” _ the voice whispered before his head was empty. His eyes scanned over the page that Renjun seemed to be reading. There wasn’t anything that caught his eye or stood out in any way. 

  
“Would you like to hangout after school?” His voice must’ve startled the older as loud squeaks filled the classroom. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.” He quickly apologized as he took a step back. 

  
“No, no you’re fine. I forgot you were in here from how quiet you’ve been.” Renjun set his book down and turned to face him. “I’ve got nothing to do after classes, so I don’t see why not.” Jaemin smiled as he let his hand fall to his side, his palm still warm. 

  
“Well in that case, meet me by the bench in the courtyard once the final bell rings. We can decide on where we go after.” 

  
“Okay, see you then.” He received a curt nod from the other before Renjun turned back to his book. Jaemin gave a small nod of his own before turning and grabbing his bag from the floor and leaving to the roof. His body suddenly felt drained of energy and he planned on using the last thirty minutes or so of lunch to rest. 

  
~~

  
And that’s how the next week had gone. They’d spend their lunch in the science lab and if neither of them were busy after school, then they’d find themselves either at Renjuns or in a café by the school. Jaemin had forgotten how much he loved making friends. As much as he loved the clan members, he could only take so much of their shenanigans. He had actually spent the weekend at Renjuns as the older had suggested they binge watch some horror movies to see which of the two were the biggest scarredy cats. It turned out to be him, but he had sworn Renjun to secrecy as the other had doubled over in laughter. 

  
Right now, it was nearing 9pm as they had lost track of time. Renjun had told him he could stay the night, but Jaemin politely refused. Jeno was supposed to be returning that day anyways, and as much as he hated to admit it, he missed his boyfriend and his brothers.  _ Okay, maybe it was Taeyong he really missed. The elder seemed to keep everyone sane and he would need to find a new place to live soon if he didn’t return today. _ Jaemin chuckled at his own thoughts as he entered his and Jenos shared room.

  
Everything was eerily silent as he looked around. Nothing seemed to have changed over the weekend. No haphazardly tossed suitcase on the bed. No clothes randomly placed on the floor, and most importantly, the lack of a body in the bed had him on edge. Jaemin frowned as he pulled his phone from his back pocket. 

  
“Did I get the dates mixed? I could’ve sworn-” He was cut off as the air was knocked from his lungs. His phone fell with a loud thud as he looked around frantically. A familiar scent filled his nose then, yet it seemed oddly foreign at the same time. Panic began to fill him as the hand around his neck tightened, keeping him from speaking. 

  
“Minnie~ you were hanging around another guy while I was gone weren’t you?” A sweet voice whispered in his ear. Jaemin was too afraid to move, unable to speak. “You know I don’t like when you’re with other people. I’ll have to remind Jaehyun and Mark about keeping a closer eye on you when I’m gone.” The voice hissed, venom dripping from each word. When he was finally released, he inhaled a sharp breath causing his lungs to sting. 

  
“N-nono I was bored,” he tried to reason with the older as he spun on his heels to face him. “You know I can’t be locked up in the house for weeks. Besides, I only hung out with one person and all we did was watch movies. It’s nothing bad-,” again he was cut off, this time his head snapped to the right as a stinging pain filled his cheek leaving him stunned. 

  
“When I tell you to stop making friends, then you stop. Are we clear Jaemin?” Jaemin quickly nodded as he cupped his cheek. He could feel tears streaming down his face but he ignored them. “Use your words princess.”   
  


“Yes, I understand. I’m sorry, I won’t speak to him anymore.” Jaemin flinched as Jeno lifted a hand to wipe away the tears. 

  
“Such pretty tears…” He lets the older pull him against his chest as he softly sniffles, head tilting to the side ever so slightly. “Even prettier eyes that become so wide and fearful. My sweet, precious Minnie that belongs to me~.” He barely reacts to the fangs digging painfully into his shoulder. He knows his shirt is ripped but he can’t focus on anything as his mind goes hazy, soon followed by darkness taking over. 

  
When he comes to, it’s nearing 1am. His shirt is ripped even more, causing the collar to hang loosely on the left side. He stares at himself in the mirror confused before shrugging it off. He knows Jeno can get a little too rough sometimes when feeding, especially if it’s been a while. He carefully climbs out of bed making his way over to the door. He’s not sure where his feet are leading him, but his body seems to want to escape from something as he navigates his way down the darkened halls.  _ “The monster will not be caged for long, my child. Seek an ally that can protect you when the chains finally snap.” _ Just like the times before, the voice whispers and his body listens. The front door creaks loudly as he exits the house, feet bare and shorts barely stopping mid thigh. By the time his mind catches up to what’s happened, he’s already standing outside a two story house. There’s a light on in the farthest window, a large tree feet away from it. Jaemin turns and makes his way across the yard and over to the tree. He easily scales it, the skin on the bottom of his left foot breaks as he steps on a broken branch. Blood trickles over the bark and onto the grass below. 

  
He reaches the end of one of the lower branches, placing him inches from the window. Looking inside, he can see Renjun curled up in bed watching something on the tv, a movie he supposes. Without thinking, he reaches a hand out and knocks on the glass. It’s just light enough to catch the teen off guard, but not loud enough to alert anyone else inside. 

  
Seconds pass as Renjun stares at him shocked, seemingly frozen in place. He tilts his head before looking down at the lock on the window then back up. The action seems to snap the older out of his daze as he scrambles out of bed and unlocks the window. Jaemin enters without a word, a smudge of blood appearing on the white windowsill as his foot passes over it. 

  
//

  
“What are you doing in my tree!?” Renjun whispers harshly as he whips around to face the younger. His father had purposefully cut the lowest branches off to keep his children from climbing it after Renjun had fallen and broken his arm as a child. The lowest branches need a ladder to reach which only made him more concerned and confused. Jaemin either didn’t hear his question, or chose to ignore him as he watched the pink haired boy walk over to his bed. “Jaemin, as much as I enjoy spending time with you, it’s two thirty in the morning and you live on the other side of the city. So can you please explain to me how you got here, especially barefoot?” 

  
“I walked. The cold doesn’t bother me anymore…” Renjun scowled as he sat on his desk. Jaemin seemed to be looking for something as the younger continued to slowly look around, his eyes coming to a stop once they landed on Renjun. “The voice said I needed to find some to protect me. And you’re the one it keeps calling for.” 

  
“I’m sorry dude, but I think you need to sleep. I can call that Ten guy and have him come get you. Or you can call Jeno and he can come get you.” Renjun suggested as he grabbed his phone from its resting place on his desk. He unplugged the charger and typed in his pin before opening his contact list and hitting the key pad. 

  
“I don’t want Jeno to know I’m here. It’ll only worry him…” Renjun looked up as Jaemins voice trailed off. He let out a noise of surprise as his nose bumped against the youngers. “You smell really good..I haven’t fed in days.” 

  
“Jaemin I seriously think you should call Jeno. This isn’t funny.” He struggled to keep himself from shoving the other away. He wasn’t sure how Jaemin would react so he tried to keep things under control. He gulped as a finger ran along his throat before pressing into the juncture between his neck and shoulder. 

  
“The voice won’t stop Junnie. It keeps saying to not let you go. That I’ll be rewarded if I help you.” Renjuns eyes widened as he looked at the youngers. They were no longer brown, but silver, and it scared him. 

  
He had been careless and let one get right under his nose. He let his guard down and now he was going to pay for it. He reached behind him for the top drawer of his desk but was stopped as a searing pain shot through his body. A hand gripped his waist painfully while another covered his mouth to muffle the scream that slipped past his lips. It wouldn’t have mattered, he was home alone, had been for months as his parent’s had left him alone to finish his schooling. 

  
The pain increased as his lower back was pressed against his desk. His mind couldn’t seem to focus on one single thought as they shot rapidly one after another. When he was finally released, Jaemin stumbled back, eyes no longer silver as he looked around confused. Renjun watched in horror as the younger’s lips trembled and he whimpered. 

  
“Where’s nono? I don’t know how I got here. Renjun, how’d I get here?” Renjun couldn’t bring himself to speak, still shocked as he covered the wound Jaemin had left. It was bleeding heavily, beginning to drench his shirt and slip past his hand. “Why are you bleeding? Did you get hurt?” He stumbled around the desk as Jaemin stepped forward. 

  
“Jaemin you need to leave.” 

  
“B-but you’re-” Renjun suddenly stopped moving when he noticed Jaemin was staring at him, or rather behind him. “Nono Junnies hurt... I don’t understand what’s going on.” He wasn’t quick enough to turn around as a new arm wrapped around his waist locking him in place. 

  
“Minnie, you bit him,” there was a playfulness to the voice as Renjuns body locked up. “I’d let you off with a scolding since I should’ve fed you before you fell asleep. But,” a finger pressed into the skin next to the bite mark making him wince. “You marked him Minnie. I can’t have you marking random people. What does that say about me?” 

  
“I'm sorry Nono!” Jaemins quick apology followed by watery eyes set off alarms in Renjuns head. Something seemed off about the way the youngest reacted. “I don’t remember how I got here. All I know is that I woke up and went to get a drink of water, and then I was here and Junnie was bleeding.” The arm around his waist tightened even more as something wet licked at the trail of blood running down his shoulder. A shiver ran down his spine when he realized it was a tongue. 

  
“I can’t blame you for wanting a taste. He’s delicious, but nothing tops you darling.” A scream ripped through Renjuns throat as his arm was suddenly bent at a weird angle causing pain to flare up. “However, your blood has tainted my precious Minnie. I can’t allow such a thing. Minnie, sweetheart, why don’t you get some sleep. You have school in the morning.” A dull thud has Renjun looking back to where Jaemin had been standing. But the teen was now curled up on the floor, eyes shut as soft snores drifted from his partially opened mouth. 

  
“What are you doing?” Renjun barely manages to speak through the pain as his arm was twisted even further back.

  
“Shhh, you wouldn’t want to wake my sweetheart.” Renjuns head is roughly jerked back as the hand holding his wrist let's go in order to hold his neck just under his chin. “Jaeminnie won’t remember what’s happened tonight. He’ll wake thinking he stayed the night, and you’ll agree, no memory of him marking you.” 

  
“Please,” he whispers, unable to speak any louder. 

  
“He’ll ask you in a week's time, just before the marking begins to show, if you’ll be our boyfriend. You’ll agree and let him feed. He’ll believe he’s marked you then. Any attempt to recall this conversation, or what’s happened tonight will result in a headache. Understand?” Renjun growls, it’s nothing more than a small rumble in his chest that has Jeno grinning. “I’ll take that as a yes.” 

  
Pain over takes him for the third time as Jeno bites down into his right shoulder, just opposite of Jaemins bite. It’s not long before his body grows weaker and his knees give out causing him to be lowered to the ground. Jenos arm around his waist pulls away, before slipping down his right arm and to his wrist. He can already feel the bruise forming as he's held up by the appendage. His vision blackens around the edges as he looks towards Jaemin one last time before passing out.


	3. III

When he wakes, it’s to the sound of water running and soft humming. Renjun’s forced to squeeze his eyes shut as he rolls over, the sun shining through his opened window right onto his face. As he sits up, he gently smacks the sheets for his phone before finding it by his feet. His screen lights up as a text comes in, followed by two more in rapid succession. He checks the time before groaning and falling backwards before unlocking his phone. The battery blinks a concerning low 35% as he opens his messaging app. Only one name is light up, a large red four next to the person's icon. 

_  
{From: Hyunjin  _

_ To: My Baby <3 _

_  
Hey Jun we still on for breakfast?  _

_ sent 9am🗸🗸 _

_ Junnie did you over sleep again? I told you to _

_ not stay up all night _

_ sent 9:30am🗸🗸 _

_ Seriously Renjun? I know you never sleep in this late. _

_ sent 9:45am🗸🗸 _

_ Baby please text me when you wake up. We can  _

_ reschedule our breakfast date  _

_ sent 10am🗸🗸 _ _ } _

_ {From: Renjun _

_ To: Hyunjin<3 _

_  
I’m so sorry_

_ sent 10:15am🗸🗸 _

_ I didn’t think I was that tired to sleep  _

_ in past my alarm _

_ sent 10:15am🗸🗸 _

_ Are you busy tonight? We can have a dinner date instead _

_ sent 10:16am🗸🗸 _

_ My uncle brought me and my cousin to this really _

_ nice place last week for dinner _

_ sent 10:16am🗸🗸 _

_ It’s got a little mix of everything. You’ll love it I promise _

_ sent 10:17am🗸🗸 _ _ }  _

  
Renjun stared at the screen waiting for a response but one never came. Locking his phone, he set it on the nightstand before running a hand through his hair. In doing so, a sharp pain shot through his shoulder causing him to quickly lower it.  _ Must’ve slept on it weird.. _ He thought as he swung the sheets off his body. Getting up, he made his way over to the bathroom before poking his head in. He found Jaemin standing in front of the sink trying to fix his hair. When he looked the younger over, he noticed the other seemed to be in a daze. Shrugging it off, he walked over to his window to close it. 

  
“Jaemin did you leave the window open last night?” He turned his head so he could see the bathroom. 

  
“No, I didn’t even notice it was opened." Renjun frowned as he looked back at the window. He never opened his window past sunset as his dad was very strict about it. As he went to shut it, he noticed something weird on the ledge.  _ How’d blood get here..? _ His brows furrowed together in confusion as he grabbed a packet of wipes from his desk. Cleaning the wood, he tossed the dirtied wipe away and finally closed it. He double checked that it was locked before stepping over to his desk and plugging his phone in. 

  
It didn’t take long before a body was draped over his, arms loosely hanging around his neck as a cheek was pressed against his. Renjun merely patted one of the arms as he pulled out a notebook and textbook. 

  
“Would you like some breakfast? I think there’s some left over from yesterday.” Renjun mumbles as he flips open to the marked page of his textbook. 

  
“I’m fine. I’ll probably eat later.” Jaemin removed his arms as he made his way over to the bedroom door. “I’m gonna head out. Have fun studying.” 

  
“Please, I’ll need all the luck in the world. This assignment has already taken ten years off my life.” They shared a quick laugh before Renjun was left alone. He could see his phone's screen light up with incoming messages, but he ignored them in favor of studying. He could always get back to whoever it was later. 

  
~~

  
Renjun hadn’t planned to spend the week hanging around Jaemin. He had originally planned to begin learning medicine under his uncle but things had somehow changed without him knowing. He was currently sitting on the floor of Jaemin and Jeno’s room, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. The younger duo were sprawled across the bed with Jaemin hanging halfway off. 

  
“Renjunnie, why don’t you come sit with us? It’d be much more comfortable than the floor.” Jaemin tried to get him to move, but Renjun kept refusing, not wanting to be squashed between the couple. 

  
“I’m fine. I sit on my floor all the time when home so this is nothing new.” He shifted trying to get more comfortable seeing as his legs had fallen asleep. 

  
“C’mon~” the younger whined but Renjun merely rolled his eyes. 

  
“Jaem, I’m seriously fine. Why don’t you sit up? Laying upside down is only going to give you a raging headache.” He could hear faint cursing as the pink haired male sat up, cheeks tinted a faint red. “Besides, didn’t you invite me over insisting you had something to ask me? Which could’ve been asked while we were still over my place.” Renjun raised a brow as the younger refused to meet his eyes. 

  
“Well...I talked to Nono about it, and he said it’d be better to ask you here. Cause if you said yes…” Jaemin trailed off leaving Renjun to wonder what he had meant. 

  
“If I said yes? What would that have to do with where we are?” He watched closely as Jaemin began fidgeting with his fingers, eyes downcasted. He didn’t push the other for an answer as he knew he’d get one eventually. Time seemed to pass slower than usual as he finally stood up needing to stretch his legs. “If you’re gonna think your question over, then I’m heading downstairs for a snack and to stretch my legs.” He made it all of six steps before an arm was suddenly in front of him. 

  
“Wait! I’ll ask, just come back over here and sit down.” He gave the youngest a questioning look before slowly sitting down. He made sure he was close enough to the edge in case he needed to run, but not too close to look suspicious. 

  
“Okay, go on then. We’re not getting any younger.” It was supposed to be a joke, neither Jaemin nor Jeno cracked a smile. It had only seemed to put the others on edge. 

  
“I was thinking lately, and after talking it out with Nono I thought, well we thought, we’d ask you out?” Renjun looked between the two as he processed the question. “Please say something, or else I’ll feel like a complete idiot and may never show my face again.” There was a scared look on Jaemins face and it made him unsettled, as if he’s seen that look before. 

  
“I don’t know Jaem. This is really sudden and I already…” he trailed off as a hand squeezed his thigh. When he looked over, Jeno was staring at him, eyes empty and a hint of a smirk tugging on the corners of his lips. “I’m sorry, what was the question?” 

  
“I asked if you’d like to be our boyfriend?” Jaemin nervously chuckled before letting out a relieved sigh when Renjun nodded. 

  
“I don’t see why not. You’re cute and the absolute sweetest.” Renjun quickly blocked out the conversation the younger two slipped into as he tried to figure out where his sudden headache came from. It wasn’t anything too painful, it mostly just annoyed him since it made it hard to focus on anything. When he snapped out of his thoughts, Jaemin was staring at him, bright smile and shiny eyes. “Yes..?”

  
“Since you’re now our boyfriend, that means you need a mark.” Renjun did a double take as he gawked at the pinkett. 

  
“I’m sorry, did you say mark? Or am I hearing things?” The giggle that Jaemin let out sent Renjun backwards in his attempt to get away. He had forgotten how close to the edge he was at that moment. 

  
“It won’t hurt I promise! Just a little marking to show you’re taken. It looks really pretty once it forms, see?” Renjun watched as Jaemin lifted his shorts. On his upper left thigh was a mark that consisted of swirling lines. At the center was a single thick swirl that broke off into thinner ones. They seemed to spread out, almost wrapping around Jaemins thigh. It reminded him of a lighting strike pattern. “Pretty isn’t it? I wanted it on my neck, but we couldn’t let Taeyong find out since we had only just gotten together then.” 

  
“H-how…?” He was stunned at what he was seeing. His boss was going to murder him if he ever found out. Of course that’s if his brother didn’t get to him first. He looks at Jeno who's only smiling, eyes in the shape of crescents. 

  
“Junnie, can I please mark you? I want you to have a pretty marking too. Of course it won’t match mine since I’m not Nono.” Jaemin began rambling about the lines adorning his skin, however Renjun couldn’t focus. He must’ve zoned out, as the next thing he knew, he was being pinned to the ground as Jaemin sits on his thighs. 

  
“Jaemin, you need to be gentle, remember?” It’s the first time he’s heard Jeno speak since spending time with the couple. “He’s not like us so you can’t be rough.” A pout quickly formed on Jaemins lips before vanishing just as quickly. 

  
“I won’t hurt him. I’m the sweetest person after all.” Silver eyes meet his as he stares up, vision blurring from unshed tears. Something about the scene playing out reminded Renjun of something, yet he can’t seem to recall where from or why. He can feel the shift in weight as Jaemin leans down before something wet licks a small strip up his neck. His body becomes stiff when four pricks are felt, two on the smaller side, but just as sharp. His mind goes hazy as he tries to fight off the fatigue that takes over without warning. 

  
Yet he can’t. His mind screams for his body to move, that this isn’t right. He has a boyfriend, one that’s waiting for him for a date they’re supposed to have that night. He already made a promise to another, years prior. So why is he unable to keep it? Why can he so easily agree to the younger male who smiles like Renjun strung the stars up just for him? Why does his body give in to the light and sweet kisses placed on his cheeks where tears slowly roll down? 

  
He’s unsure why. He’s afraid to dig deeper for the answers. Afraid he’ll unlock something that was never meant to be found. When he tilts his head to the side, he’s met with a knowing look, one that holds secrets of plenty. One that taunts him, begging him to try and unlock it’s truths. Looking away only brings a smile, one of happiness and innocence. 

  
He wants to run. 

  
He wants to hide and never be found. 

  
But he’s been marked and claimed. He can run across the world, but they’ll always find him. Even in death, they’ll know where to look. 

  
~~

  
It had been a long nine months and Renjun was ready to rip his hair out. They had to keep their relationship a secret not only from the house mates but also from their classmates, and Renjun was over it. Half the time, he had to sit by and watch his supposed younger boyfriends shower one another in affection and attention while they pretended like he either didn’t exist, or like they were nothing more than friends. It had led to a lot of nights full of self doubt and questionable thoughts, but he had kept them to himself. He didn’t want to start any potential arguments or petty silent treatments so he remained full of forced smiles. 

  
Currently, he was standing in front of the window staring out at the rainy clouds. Nature's mood seemed to match his mood a lot lately and it made him a little happier to know he wasn’t alone. Loud snores filled the room from the bed behind him as Jeno had dozed off sometime ago. He didn’t make a move to wake the younger as he made his way out and into the hall. They would constantly tell him that he wasn’t allowed to walk around alone. But right now he was bored and staying in that room any longer would lead to some serious thoughts he didn’t want to deal with. So instead, he decided to make his way down to the lounge. He was aware of the mini library the Lees had but he wasn’t sure where it exactly was and he refused to wander around without an idea of the house's layout. During his little trip, he kept a close eye out for anything that caught his attention. He had noted how a lot of people seem to come and leave without so much of a warning. He didn’t need a repeat of what happened with Jaemin the night he agreed to go out with them. 

  
Making his way over to the lounge, he stopped long enough to check to see if anyone was inside. When he spotted no one, he let out a relieved sigh before entering. On the far wall to the right sat two large bookcases filled with both books and decor. He’d been meaning to check it out, but never found the time to. Since he was the only one in there, he figured it’d be the best time. Scanning the shelves, he found two books that stuck out. Grabbing the first one, he flipped it over to read the back side. Barely half way through, the book was snatched from his hands causing him to scowl. 

  
“Didn’t know my brother let his dog off the leash.” A voice he had come to hate spoke in his ear as a hand he despised even more put the book back in its place. “Dogs belong at their owners feet, right Huang?” 

  
“At least a dog can do more damage than a hissing cat.” He snapped back as he spun on his heels. The youngest of the two twins stood in front of him, anger clear in his eyes. “What? Dog got your tongue sweetheart?” Before he could step away, his head whipped to the side, as a stinging spread through his lip and cheek. As he licked the tinder skin, iron filled his mouth. 

  
“Don’t get smart with me  _ darling _ ,” the sickly sweet smile on the redhead's face sent shivers up his spine. “You’re forgetting this is my house you’re standing in and therefore, any shit you say or do will be used against you.” Renjun chuckled as he straightened, the back of his hand pressed against his now bleeding lip. 

_  
"Oh so scary,” _ with a roll of his eyes, he let his hand drop to his side. “You’re nothing without your boyfriend Donghyuck. Everyone knows that, it’s the number one rumor at school for a reason.” Renjun gave the other a sly smile, even when a hand wrapped around his neck tight enough to cut his airflow. 

  
“I suggest you keep that mouth of yours closed before you really piss me off. I’m not afraid to make you permanently silent.” Donghyuck hissed lowly unaware of the newcomer standing behind him. 

  
“And I suggest you let my boyfriend go before I make you regret it.” Jaemin growled as he stormed over to the two. Renjuns smile dropped when he noticed the pure rage in the younger's eyes. “You don’t see me walking around snatching your play toys by the neck now do you?” He watched as Donghyuck eyed the other up, his grip never loosening. 

  
“You touch Mark and he’ll deal with you himself. I have no need to protect him.” Renjun made a choked off sound resembling a scoff as the redhead eyed the male laying on the couch. 

  
“Of course he can protect himself. He acts like an adult unlike somebody else we know.” Renjun prayed that his youngest boyfriend would shut up and get Jeno before things got worse. 

  
“I  _ never _ liked you, and I especially dislike his newest addition.” Guess he hadn’t prayed hard enough as he struggled to breath, his airflow completely cut off now. He could already feel the bruises forming from how tight Donghyucks grip had become. His number one fear was how close the other was to snapping his neck like a twig. As panic began to set in, he could see the way Jaemins eyes narrowed and darkened. 

  
“You can hate me all you won’t, I honestly couldn’t give a shit about your opinion. But I swear to everything thats holy and then some, if you don’t get your fucking hand off Renjun, I’ll snap your pretty little neck.” The growl that Jaemin releases has even Mark stunned as he stands, ready to fight. 

  
“You wouldn’t da-” Donghyuck is cut off as a hand is wrapped around his own throat. During the confusion, Renjun manages to pry Donghyucks hand off and stumble back as coughs wrack his body. His back is met with a chest, or maybe it’s a wall, he really can’t bring himself to care as he gasps and wheezes for air. 

  
“Is the little Lee brother unable to fight back, hm? Too weak to do anything for yourself as usual?” Renjun wants to laugh at the taunt that comes from Jaemin, but his chest tightens from the pain causing him to squeeze his eyes shut. 

  
“That’s enough!” Marks voice booms through the room silencing everyone as the other house occupants stand in the doorway. “Jaemin, either remove your hand, or I’ll personally do it. And it won’t end pretty.” The threat is met with a vase being broken as whatever was behind Renjun is now gone. 

  
“Minnie, take Renjun back upstairs while I deal with my brother and his stupidity.” An arm suddenly wraps around his waist as he’s led from the room and back towards the stairs. No words are exchanged between them as he continues to ease his breathing and rapid heart beat. 

  
Once they enter the bedroom again, he’s placed on the edge of the bed before a bottle of water is placed before him. He silently takes it and gulps down half of it before recapping the drink. Silence brings a heavy tension to the room as the two refuse to speak. It’s not until Jeno joins them minutes later, bloodied knuckles and curses falling from his lips, do they speak. 

  
“I didn’t mean to make him angry,” Jaemin is already apologizing, but Renjun’s used to it. It seems the younger has been trained to beg and plead for forgiveness even when he’s done nothing wrong.

  
“Save it. It’s been dealt with.” A hand is on his jaw without warning forcing his head to the side showing off his split lip that’s begun to swell. “You’re fucking stupid going and pissing my brother off.” Jeno seethes but Renjun doesn’t reply. He simply stares at the headboard knowing it’ll do him no good in arguing. It hadn’t been his fault, whether they believe him or not isn’t his concern. “He could’ve killed you, and most likely planned to.” 

  
“Damn shame he took too long. Would’ve made putting up with you a hell of a lot better seeing as I would be six feet under.” The grip on his jaw tightened ever so slightly as a gasp could be heard. A soft and shaky “you don’t mean that,” soon followed as a hand gently touches his shoulder before drawing back. 

  
“Jaemin, go to bed.” Renjun couldn’t understand how Jeno got Jaemin to act like an obedient dog. All it took was a commanding voice to have the youngest fast asleep, or by his side, head tilted down and hands folded in front of him. “Now we’re going to have a nice little chat about your rash behavior.” 

  
To Renjun, it felt like he had already had this conversation at some point.  _ Maybe more than once _ his brain helpfully supplied as his jaw was roughly released.


	4. IV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second half of this chapter is going to be from Renjuns pov.
> 
> Also, just a heads up, this chapter has to do with a lot of a self doubt, suicidal thoughts, self harm, a panic attack, and self hatred. If any of these topics make you uncomfortable, please skip past the three (3) parts marked with asterisks (*). These topics occur in the second half of the chapter. 
> 
> If you wish to, you can skip this chapter all together after getting to the end of Jaemin's pov. The main point of the second half is explained in detail next chapter.

_**THREE YEAR TIME** _ _**SKIP** _

In the past three years, Jaemin felt at his happiest. He had met Renjun and even managed to get the boy to go out with him. And he had even met Taeyongs closest friend Kun, and his little family. He couldn’t have asked for anything better. Or so he thought. His fingers subconsciously begin twisting the ring around his right ring finger. It was a stunning silver band with two different colored stones. Lime green peridot and ruby red spinel. The two stones sat interchanging along the band and Jaemin adored it. The ring had been custom made using his birthstones.

  
Looking to his right, he saw Renjun slipping his own ring back onto his finger as he exited the bathroom. The olders had a light blue stone along its own silver band; aquamarine. It was a stunning jewel that brought out and made the silver of Renjuns left eye even prettier. To say they were a little shocked when the male awoke was an understatement. They weren’t too sure as to why his eyes had been different, his right dulling drastically but still remaining brown. They had just shrugged it off as Mark, Donghyucks mate, had woken with permanent silver eyes. 

  
At the moment, he wasn’t quite sure what the older two were talking about as he sunk deeper into the beanbag chair he was sitting in. His mind had begun to wander off to different events over the past three years before stopping on the most important one. Just a little under a year ago, Jeno had proposed to them and it had left him in tears. He couldn’t even properly speak for a good hour afterwards which he was still embarrassed about. 

  
~~

_  
Jaemin stood among the pumpkin patch, a small pumpkin in his hands. Taeyong had insisted that they all go and pick out a few of the orange squash but he wasn’t too sure why. They wouldn’t be carving them, and he knew none of them would be willing to eat any of it. He supposed it was for the joy of the holidays and to get everyone together and out of the house. Looking around, he noted how everyone, excluding him and Renjun, were all crowding around the pathway. Donghyuck had even brought out a camera at some point and was snapping photos. He shrugged it off as the guys were just doing their own thing and went back to looking at the object in his hands.  _

_  
A hand tapped his shoulder causing him to turn around, a confused look on his face as Renjun held up a small, and clearly fake, pumpkin. Looking at what the older was pointing to, a blush quickly covered his cheeks.  _

_  
“I feel bad for the sucker who left this behind.” He joked only making Jaemins cheeks heat up even more.  _

_  
“I think it’s cute. I’d be extremely happy if I was the person on the receiving end.” He gently set down the pumpkin in his hands before taking the fake one from Renjuns. He gently ran a finger over the white painted words.  _

_  
“Well I’m glad you like it. It took a lot of begging to get Ten to agree to paint it.” The two vampires turned towards the group of older males, all bright smiles. A flash went off as Jeno stepped forwards before getting down on one knee.  _

_  
“Stop hitting me!” Renjun hissed as he grabbed Jaemins hands to keep him still. Jaemin on the other hand couldn’t help but bounce in his spot as he grinned, cheeks starting to hurt.  _

_  
“Will you, Na Jaemin and Huang Renjun make me the happiest person on this planet and spend the rest of forever with me?” Jaemin could feel his eyes brimming with tears as he held the plastic pumpkin in front of his face. “Oh Nana,” he could hear Jeno chuckling and feel a hand rubbing his back. “Don’t cry baby, you’re gonna make me cry.”  _

_  
“Well hug him, you’re the reason he’s crying.” Renjun shoved the older vampire lightly, a small smile on his face as he watched the two hug.  _

_  
“So is that a yes?” Jaemin nodded, unable to speak. He let out a watery laugh as he held his hand out watching as Jeno slipped the ring on. He looked it over while Jeno did the same with Renjun before they were both pulled into a tight hug, kisses being pressed to their temples shortly after.  _

_  
“You assholes better look this way! My mascara is ruined now,” Jaemin let out a laugh at Donghyucks words as he looked towards the camera the older was holding. _

  
~~

  
The feeling of a weight pressing down on him drew him back to reality as he looked at the body now laying on him. An arm was thrown over his shoulder while a head rested against his chest as soft humming came from the person. He let a hand wander over the smallers back as he traced random patterns into the others' shirt. It was peaceful in the room as the sound of the tv filled the space, its volume on low. 

  
“Did Nono beat you at Mario Kart again?” He only got a nod in response as the body moved to get more comfortable. “Will kisses make you happy again?” A shake of the head and an annoyed huff had him smiling. 

  
“No. I want him to stop cheating and to play the game fairly,” Renjun whined followed by a pillow being thrown in their direction. 

  
“I didn’t cheat Jun. You just suck at video games. Even Kun can beat you and that’s just sad.” Jaemin rolled his eyes at his fiances antics. They never played games often as it usually resulted in somebody pouting. 

  
“Okay, how about we watch a movie since you can’t play nicely?” He suggested as he wrapped his arms around Renjuns waist protectively. “We can even steal the blankets from the spare closet and make a giant tent. I’ll even sneak some extra pillows from Taeyongs.” 

  
“The extra fluffy ones?” Renjun asked, his voice muffled from where he was laying against Jaemin. 

  
“Yes, the big ones.” Jaemin waited until Renjun had rolled off him and onto the other side of the beanbag before standing. “You two get started on selecting movies and clearing a place for the blanket fort.” 

  
It didn’t take him long to grab what he needed. All it took was a smile in order to get Taeyong to hand over his extra large pillows that he kept hidden in the back of his closet. He also made a stop in the lounge for one of the larger blankets kept there. It was grey and fluffy and was big enough to fit four, maybe five of them if they squished together close enough. He made his way back to the bedroom making sure he didn’t forget anything along the way. Reentering, he was pleased with the work the older two had gotten done. There was a cleared out spot right in front of the bed along with a stack of movies on the nightstand. 

  
“Alright, Nono you get started on making the tent while me and Junnie get the pillows and other things set up.” 

  
Jaemin wished he’d spent the whole night with them instead of going to bed early. He wishes he had known something was off when Jenos phone kept lighting up late into the night. But he had paid it no mind just thinking it was one of the house mates trying to annoy the vampire for fun. 

  
Oh had he been very wrong. 

  
~~//~~

  
As Renjun awoke, the first thing he noticed was the lack of bodies next to him. The floor wasn’t the most comfortable thing to sleep on, but he didn’t mull over it as he looked around. There was a clear lack of scents in the room meaning Jeno and Jaemin had left some time ago. He made use of that fact and began taking their tent apart. Placing the sheets in a laundry basket, he moved onto the pillows littering the floor and remaining blankets. Once he was finished, he stepped over to the bed sitting on the edge. Grabbing for his phone, he noticed a note resting under it. Picking it up, he saw it was addressed to him, little hearts decorating the space around his name. Giving it a once over, he set it back down and turned his attention to his phone, a few missed text messages appearing on the lock screen. He ignored them as he unlocked the device and opened his messaging app to their group chat. 

_  
{To: Fiance 1 and Fiance 2 _

_ From: Renjun _

_ I saw your note Jaeminnie! _

_ sent 10am🗸🗸 _

_ Don’t spend too long with whatever  _

_ you two are doing :)  _

_ sent 10:05am🗸🗸} _

  
Pocketing his phone, he went about fixing the room up. He made sure everything was back where it needed to be before taking the pillows back to Taeyong's room. Once finished, he made his way to the laundry room to toss the sheets and blankets in the washing machine. Setting the laundry basket down, he started the machine before turning and leaving for the kitchen. 

  
When he entered, he was greeted by some flour flying past him. To him, it looked like a war zone had formed in the once pristine kitchen. Now, flour coated everything in white while what he assumed, more like prayed, to be cocoa powder covered the counters on either side of the sink. A puddle of oil had collected under one of the bar stools after the container was knocked over. The bright yellow bottle was still tipped, leaking even more liquid onto the tiles. Renjun carefully made his way around the arguing couple to grab a hand towel from the drawer. He only managed to grab the drawer handle before something hit him in the shoulder.   
  


“Renjun, tell Mark that red velvet is best with cream cheese frosting!” A voice yelled causing him to flinch. 

  
“For the last time Donghyuck, we’re not making red velvet. We’re making chocolate, therefore we either need vanilla or chocolate frosting.” Renjun suppressed a chuckle at the way Mark sounded so done and tired with the sassy redhead. 

  
“I honestly don't care. But if I were either of you, I’d start cleaning this mess up and replacing all the ingredients used before Taeyong finds out. I’m really not in the mood to attend a funeral anytime soon.” There was a muffled reply as he grabbed the hand towel and quickly escaped to the lounge to read. Last time he had been in there, the mantel had needed some dusting so he made a slight detour to clean it before grabbing his book from the shelves.

  
Hours passed without him realizing as he’d gotten sucked into his reading. He finally set the book down on the table across from him before stretching. At first nothing seemed out of place until he checked his phone for the time. It’d been nearly four hours since he’d messaged the duo and there still wasn’t any response. The little checks next to the timestamps showing the messages had been sent, and even seen. Frowning, he restarted his phone hoping that maybe it had just bugged out and needed a quick reboot. Yet nothing appeared on the screen. He double checked that he hadn’t hit anything when sitting to read, but his settings looked normal, nothing having been changed. Opening their chat again, he hit Jaemins' contact before dialing the younger.

_  
“Sorry, the number you are trying to reach is either out of service or misdialed. Please check to make _ sure you have entered the number correctly and try again later…” Renjuns blood ran cold as he checked the number. It was the same one Jaemin had been using since he’d met the younger. Hitting dial again, he was met with the same message over and over. He even tried Jenos, but his call was greeted by the same robotic voice telling him to try the number again. 

_  
{From: Renjun _

_ To: Fiance 1 and Fiance 2 _

_ Guys this isn’t funny! _

_ message unable to send 2pm✗ _

_ Please tell me this is some sick joke _

_ message unable to send 2pm✗ _

_ Jeno? _

_ message unable to send 2pm✗ _

_ Jaemin?  _

_ message unable to send 2pm✗ _ _ } _

********************

  
Renjun felt like screaming as his vision blurred. His eyes quickly filled with tears as he stared at the ‘unsent’ message notification. He couldn’t figure out what was happening, nor could he understand it. Had he done something to upset them? Could they have gotten tired of him and decided to run away? Anything was possible in reality. His fears had begun to creep back in on him as he struggled to calm himself down. During his panic, he missed the footsteps getting closer. 

  
“Jun, hey, what’s wrong?” Someone was kneeling in front of him but he couldn’t make out who it was through his tears and thoughts.

  
“Injun I need you to put the phone down,” another voice spoke from his right, at least he thinks that’s where it came from. Looking down again, a hand was now resting on his thigh, but the person's face was facing away from him. 

  
“Jisung, go get Taeyong while I stay with him.” The hand on his thigh gave him a comforting squeeze. “Donghyuck, I need you to get Kun on the phone and over here. I think he’s having a panic attack.” Renjun tried to focus on the voices. He tried to give them names and faces but nothing seemed to distract him from the tightening in his chest. His phone was removed from his hands and placed somewhere else before he was pulled into a hug. 

*********************

  
He slowly began to calm down as circles were rubbed into his back and soothing words were whispered to him. It didn’t do much to calm his head and the fear he was feeling, but he was able to ground himself enough to come to. Taeyong was standing a few feet away talking to Jisung while Donghyuck was on the phone talking with someone, he guessed to be his uncle. He could already feel a headache forming as Mark released him from the hug and wiped his cheeks. His hands were shaking as he looked at his phone. 

  
“I can’t...I can’t reach Jaemin or Jeno. They blocked my number,” his voice was small as his lips trembled. He was trying desperately not to cry. He hated crying as it made him feel weak and vulnerable. 

  
“What are you talking about?” Taeyong turned to him before joining Mark and kneeling in front of him. “I spoke with them just before you woke up. They were so excited to show you the gift they’d picked out.” Renjun shook his head as he pointed at his phone, their chat still open. 

  
“I tried calling them multiple times. But I kept getting an automated message saying the phone number was either no longer in service or was dialed wrong. Even my texts won’t go through anymore. But they did a few hours ago..” Renjun sniffled as he drew his knees up and close to his chest. He watched as everyone tried to call the missing duo. Not a single one of them had any luck as they all received the same message as him. 

  
Jaehyun and Lucas were quickly sent out to look for the two shortly after while he was moved back to their room. Donghyuck had agreed to stay with him in the meantime while Mark and Kun got in touch with some friends to set up a search party. Taeyong disappeared to his office in order to get in contact with a few old friends leaving Renjun to stress even more. The room smelled too much like his mates, yet it didn’t seem to settle his raging thoughts. At some point Donghyuck had fallen asleep leaving him alone with his thoughts. At first he managed to block them out, but as the hours passed by, they only grew in strength. 

_ ************************ _

_  
“They never wanted you..”  _

_  
“You didn’t deserve them anyways. You’re nothing special and they took pity on you..” _

_  
“All you did was tear their relationship in two, straight down the middle. It was always them. Always Jeno and Jaemin with you on the side..” _

  
The voices in his head continued on, even after he’d cried his eyes out. The first two days were tolerable so long as he had someone to distract him, even if it meant quizzing Mark with random math equations, or letting Donghyuck gossip to him. So long as it kept his mind distracted he was okay. 

  
By the sixth day, he had been locked away in the room. No one was allowed inside besides Taeyong and Kun and only then, it was hard to keep him restrained. They had to resort to injecting his thighs and arms with a sleeping agent whenever they got the chance. It’d only give them a few hours to clean any injuries Renjun had inflicted on himself, while also making sure he got a blood IV to keep him fed. By the eighth day, he had resorted to screaming and breaking things. Jaehyun and Mark had been posted outside his door in case he tried to escape. Donghyuck would try and talk to him from time to time through the door, but it would only result in more screaming, sometimes he would cry but they learned quickly to tell the difference between what was real and what was fake. 

  
“I hate all of you! I hate it and I hate what I’ve become!” He had been screaming for hours, his voice going raw as his voice broke every few words. He had even coughed up a few blood droplets here and there but he didn’t care. It had taken three more days for him to fully snap.

********************

  
Eleven days of confinement. 

  
He wanted out. But there was no escape as the windows had been boarded up after the third day. He had tried to remove them but the nails hadn’t budged the slightest sending him into a deranged frenzy. The room currently looked as if a tornado had passed through with pictures smashed on the floor, the bed broken in parts, and the bathroom mirror had once been in shards but was cleaned up soon after. He had even managed to lodge the tv into the wall during his most recent fit. No matter what, the room continued to smell heavily of his mates and it was driving him crazy. It felt like his body was dying all over again and he didn’t know how to stop it. 

*****************************

  
Renjuns body finally gave out as he dropped to his knees, knuckles bloodied and cuts littering his legs and arms. Where his two mate marks once sat, were now deep scratches. The skin torn to shreds as blood heavily seeped from the wounds. The skin continued to heal but it didn’t stop him from repeating the process over and over. He’d grown numb to the pain it caused after the third time. Now he sat staring at a shattered photo. The frame broke to pieces while the photo had been torn during his tantrum. 

  
It was the photo taken of them when Jeno had proposed. Just like all the others, he was on the edge of the photo, while Jeno held Jaemin like the younger was the only thing that mattered. Jaemin had the widest smile on his face, eyes full of happiness even with tears streaming down his face. Renjun picked the photo up before looking it over. He stood a few inches away from the happy couple, hands down by his side as his ring was only somewhat visible. Jaemin, however, had his on full display even holding his hand out for the camera. He had nothing against the rings, he was actually surprised that Jeno had put so much thought into them. What he hated was how he never felt like he was deserving of it. 

  
Every single photo in their room was of Jeno and Jaemin, with Renjun off to the side or in the distance. He was like a phantom that they couldn’t shake. Even when alone, he was always off to the side. Pushed to the side of the bed when it came time to sleep, Jaemin always in the middle, or on occasion it’d be Jeno. But never him. When they’d cuddle, Jaemin would always choose Jeno to hug while he was left to the side alone. The only time he got their full attention was when one of them was gone or they were mad at each other. 

  
He felt like nothing more than a placeholder. Like he didn’t mean anything to them. They could drop him any second and nothing would change in their lives. They could even cut him out of their photos and reframe them like it was nothing. 

  
Renjun ripped the photo in his hand, the image of himself falling to the floor. Blood had gotten on the image from where it dripped down his fingers, but the image of Jeno and Jaemin stared up at him untouched by filth. He growled, fangs bared as he crumbled the photo. Loud cracking echoed as he slammed the fake pumpkin into the floor. A thick crack spread through the now chipping white paint splitting off at points. He slammed it down a second a time, a chunk falling off in the process. He could only stare at the once memorable object, now unrecognizable from the damage. 

  
Taking the large shard of plastic, he held it up so the moon's light was reflecting off it. The edges weren’t sharp enough to cause any real damage but it didn’t stop him from thinking of ways to use it. His mind settled on a simpler idea as he gripped the item tightly. Swinging his hand down, he forced the plastic into his thigh, a wince being his only reaction. He continued the action over and over littering the area in fresh wounds. Some deeper than others as he forced the shard into some spots multiple times. Blood gushed from the wounds forming a puddle under his right leg. He wanted to feel something other than hatred and self pity. He wanted something that would leave a mark for more than an hour, for more than a day and he had found it. 

**************************

  
If they didn’t want him anymore, then so be it.

  
He never wanted them to begin with. He had been at his happiest three years ago. Long before Jaemin had ever entered that science lab, he had had a boyfriend who would spoil him like he was the only person in existence. 

  
Renjun laughed until his throat and chest hurt. He cried until his eyes burned and until he had no tears left. He remained kneeled on the ground until his body went stiff and his legs hurt. His reality had come crumbling down and he was now faced with the truth. He had never been wanted. It had all been a sick joke. Something to laugh at in the long run. Something to be used against him when he grew tired of everything around him. 

  
He was so tired of crying and screaming. At some point his voice had given up leaving him in a silent room with nothing but his thoughts. They seemed too tempting but nothing would bring them alive as he had no way to prevent the others from stopping him. The wounds would always heal leaving nothing but red, raw skin for a day before healing over to porcelain like skin. 

  
Renjun closed his eyes as he tilted his head backwards. The moon had given enough light to fill the room, but he didn’t care. The stars painted on the ceiling only filled him with hate as he opened his eyes slowly. He’d pray and pray, that he’d never wake once his eyes would close for the night. But in the end, he’d always wake. Something or someone in the universe wanted him to suffer, and they’d make use of every chance they got until their last. 

  
The sound of the door opening behind him drew no reaction. Not when the person gasped and rushed to his side. Not when pink hair clouded his vision or trembling hands ripped his collar to get a look at his injuries. 

  
For the first time in eleven days he smiled. It was empty and broken, nothing like how they left him. A voice screamed his name as his body was shaken but his mind had begun to slip. “ _ The moon always shone brightest when one was on their deathbed _ ,” his uncle had told him one evening years ago.  _ “It leads wandering souls to the afterlife so they don’t get lost along the way,” _ his uncle's partner had added with a bright smile. 

  
“The moon looks it’s brightest tonight. Don’t you think Jaeminnie?” His voice had been barely above a whisper as his eyes slid shut and his body went limp.


	5. V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING FOR EXTENSIVE USE OF BLOOD AND VIOLENCE DURING FLASHBACKS. THERE IS ALSO A DEPICTION OF A BRUTAL DEATH SCENE INVOLVING A PREGNANT WOMEN. PLEASE BE ADVISED!!!!
> 
> These areas will be marked with asterisks ( * ) as a heads up.

_ //Eleven days ago// _

  
Stepping outside, Jeno had decided to leave Jaemin behind as he exited the store to wait. The younger had ordered a custom Moomin statue for their smaller fiancé and they had left early to pick it up. He didn’t have anything to complain about as it was just before 10am and they’d be back home in less than twenty minutes. Yet, the one thing he didn’t like was the weird grey car that’d been following them. He first noticed it while they were leaving a bakery to pick something up that Taeyong had ordered. His suspicions were confirmed when the same car sat outside the clothing store the whole forty minutes they were inside, only leaving once their car pulled away. Jeno had kept it a secret from Jaemin not wanting to set the younger on edge. 

  
But he was beginning to worry, especially seeing as how the younger still hadn’t left the store. When Jeno had walked outside, Jaemin had been mid transaction, stopping to discuss the cost of another custom figure. When he pulled his phone out, he noticed some missed messages from Renjun which he checked before checking the time. He had been standing out there for nearly fifteen minutes at that point.  _ Na Jaemin, it doesn’t take this long to discuss pricing and to get a receipt for something you already paid for. _ Jeno inwardly complained as he reentered the shop. The clerk was no longer standing behind the counter, and his mate was nowhere to be seen. He quickly pocketed his phone and made his way over to the curtains that sat at the furthest point behind the counter. Pushing them aside, he found an empty room. A stool and work bench sat at one end with nothing else. Looking to his left, he found the back exit, the door left ajar with a brick. 

  
“Jaemin?” He called for the younger making sure to keep an eye out for anyone suspicious. When he received no answer, he knew something was wrong. Pushing the door open, he stumbled slightly over the small ledge. “Jaemin!?” Jeno had been trained for situations like this his whole life, but in the moment he couldn’t keep a leveled head. 

  
Some guy was forcing Jaemin into the back of a workers van, bag covering the younger's head and hands bound. None of the men standing around seemed all that concerned with his appearance, one even moving to place a bag over his own head. Jeno managed to avoid him at the last second as he made his way over to the van. What he wasn’t prepared for, was for a woman to suddenly step around the back of the vehicle. Her smile was of warmth and love, eyes curved into crescents as she held her arms open as if awaiting a hug. 

  
“Hello my sweet boy. It’s been a long time since we last met.” Jenos eyes widened, his mind too distracted to notice the two men sneaking up on him. “Now, be gentle with him. He’s going to bring me back what's rightfully mine.”

  
“M-mom..?” Jeno couldn’t wrap his head around what was going on. The last time he saw his mother was right before they had moved to Korea nearly a century ago. Their father had just passed and Taeyong had been granted the rights to all of his clans. 

  
“In the flesh darling~. Why don’t we go back to my little humble abode and talk.” Her smile turned to one of wickedness as ropes were tightly wrapped around his arms, pinning them to his chest. He didn’t put up a fight as he was well aware of what his mother could, and would do, to Jaemin in response to his disobedience. Instead, he allowed the strange men to lead him over to the back of the van. Before he was pushed inside, a bag was placed over his head that smelt heavily of vanilla mixed with lavender. It kept him from being able to pinpoint exactly where Jaemin was within the vehicle. 

  
The drive seemed to go on forever and it was making Jeno worried. He was afraid that his mother may be taking them either out of the country, or a good ways away from Seoul. When the van finally did pull to a stop, the back doors were opened causing a rush of air and sunlight to filter in. A mix of hushed voices reached his ears, but he was unable to make out any words. An arm roughly grabbed his and forced him from his spot as he fell to his knees. Moving his head, he could barely see through the bag obscuring his vision. What seemed to be a large manor sat in the distance, the white building shining in the sunlight. To his right looked to be a garden if the blurry vibrant colors were anything to go off. But he couldn’t spot any blurr of pink moving to indicate Jaemin was okay. 

  
After a few seconds, he was forced to stand as a group of men lead him down a path towards the manor. Jeno tried to focus on his surroundings, but the smell of the bag, and the thickness of it made everything distorted and any smells he managed to pick up, would be mixed with vanilla or lavender. A rush of cool air hit him as he entered the manor. The lights weren’t as bright as the outdoors, but they still hurt his eyes once the bag was removed. Men moved about the main entrance with little regard to him as they carried boxes of different sizes. He watched one as they entered a room, followed by loud yelling and a bang. 

  
“The madam of the house is expecting you in her chambers.” A voice spoke from somewhere in the room. When Jeno turned to his right, a set of grand stairs now stood spiraling before him. “She requests your immediate arrival and will not wait a minute longer.” A hand shoved him from behind causing him to stumble a few steps forwards. “If you could follow me.” The strange lady turned around and began walking down a corridor. 

  
“Could at least wait for me..” He grumbled as he hurried up the stairs two steps at a time. When he reached the top, the lady was standing halfway down a corridor, face blank as she held a clipboard to her chest. Jeno took long, but quick strides over to her, just reaching her as she turned back around and continued on. 

  
The walk was silent as they made their way through many halls. Some housed paintings of people Jeno either vaguely recognized or didn’t know at all. Some simply had doors lining them making them seem longer than they truly were. He nearly ran into the woman's back as she came to a sudden halt outside a set of grand double doors. He noted how a sun was carved into the left door, while a crescent moon was carved into the right one. 

  
“She will now see you,” the lady spoke without emotion as she opened the door with the crescent. He shrugged the cravings off as he entered, mind on edge. The door slammed behind him causing him to whip his head around to check for any signs of danger. When he couldn’t sense any, he turned back towards the bed. 

  
The room was overly large for a single woman to be living in, but he figured his mother made use of it...for other reasons he wished to not think of. Everything was very pristine and looked to have been deep cleaned recently. He mentally applauded his mother for keeping to her intense self rules when it comes to pleasing guests. He was about to call out for her, but stopped when the sound of heels clicking filled the room. 

  
“Sorry if I kept you waiting sweetheart. I was on the phone with a landscaper. The backyard is a little overgrown and I need it fixed.” Jeno waved her off before giving her a once over. He never really believed his father or brothers when they would tell him he was a spitting image of her. He knew he got his black hair and infamous smile from her, but looking at her after a century, he finally agrees. 

  
“Mother, if you don’t mind me asking, why did you kidnap me and my mate?” Jeno was surprised at how well he managed to keep his tone leveled. He was afraid he’d snap at her the second he got to speak. 

  
“Well my precious little moon,” his mother smiled as she sat on her favorite red chair, the same one she’d sit on back in England. “I’m tired of your older brother having what was supposed to be mine. Your father wasn’t in his right mind when he passed, and the will he’d written was an old one. He’d been meaning to update it, but his mental health declined quicker than we could keep up with.” 

  
“So you went through all this hassle just so I can talk to him about it?” Jeno was skeptical of his mother's true intentions. They all knew their father wasn’t in the best state at the time, given how he passed. But they also knew their father kept his will updated every five years, something about refusing for it to be outdated at his time of passing. 

  
“If talking worked in this family, things would’ve been very different centuries ago darling.” He watched as his mother shifted in her seat, smile dropping to a serious look. “I want you to take back what’s rightfully mine. I don’t care how it’s done, so long as it’s completed. I won’t set a specific time frame, as things don’t always go the way you plan,” his mother slowly stood, eyes narrowing in on him, “but, if you refuse to aid me, or you fail to produce the will, then your little mate can kiss his life goodbye.”

  
“You have no right to threaten me or Jaemin. You especially have no right in forcing me to do your dirty work, blood relations or not.” Jeno growled, hands clenched into tight fists as he glared at her. “You may have birthed me, but you  _ did not _ raise me and I will  _ not _ stoop down to your levels of pettiness and thievery.” 

  
There was a chuckle which was soon followed by the sound of heels clicking on the wooden floor boards. Before Jeno could respond, a hand was wrapped tightly around his neck as one of the doors opened behind him. The lady from before entered as another continued past her and over to them, eyes looking him over. 

  
“You think you're so funny and so brave don’t you? But you’re not. Whatever Taeyong did to you after he took you and your brother has ruined you. The Jeno I bore was never this weak and pathetic.” The way she spits the words out as if laced with venom has Jeno recoiling. “My sweet little moon was one of the most feared vampires in England alongside your father. You had so many pretty girls on their hands and knees begging to be mated. Even more men laying in the bloodied aftermaths of your rage.” 

  
“You’re lying!” Jeno forces the words out as his mother's grip tightens. “I’m not capable of hurting another.” There’s a wicked laugh from the woman before him as she releases him. Jeno falls to his knees as he coughs, throat burning and head spinning. 

  
“Memories never lie to you darling. They can either keep us sane, or ruin us for good.” Jeno glanced up, confusion clear on his face. What he doesn’t expect is for the mysterious lady to smile sweetly before pressing her hands to either side of his head. She mumbles a phrase in a language he doesn’t recognize before his vision blurs and he’s met with images flashing across his sight in rapid succession. 

_ ********************************************  
  
He’s aged ten and sitting in a garden, rose petals strewn around the cobblestone path. There’s a rose in his hand that's been crumpled and now lays limp, petals missing in some spots. His twin sits only a few feet away, a handful of carefully selected flowers laying on the ground in front of him. Jeno rolls his eyes as he throws the destroyed rose onto the ground and stomps over to the younger. _

_  
“Mother hates when you make things like these. They’re ugly and useless.” He grins when Donghyucks hands tremble ever so slightly, the half finished flower crown forgotten as it falls into his lap.  _

_  
“Why do you always say such hateful things? Taeyongie would have your tongue if he heard you!” Donghyuck yells, on the verge of crying as his eyes well with tears. _

_  
“Well mother says Taeyong isn’t as important as us. So that means I don’t have to listen to him.” There’s a scream followed by the sound of heavy footsteps as red paints the cobblestone. The flowers now laying abandoned in a pool of quickly forming scarlet.  _

_  
“Jeno!” The sound of their older brother's voice has him growling, anger only growing. “You can’t stab Hyuckie with the roses, we’ve been over this a number of times!” Someone else is yanking him away from the younger who’s begun to sob, hand clutching at the wound in his shoulder, another in his neck. Jeno always thought the white roses looked prettiest when painted red. _

  
Jeno let’s out a pained scream as he clutches his head. It feels like someone's taken a hammer and is continuously slamming it into his skull without restraint. A hand slips into his hair as a woman's voice softly speaks, the words muddled and unintelligible. 

_  
Another memory flashes, this time he’s eighteen. He’s sat in a room, one he deems to belong to a servant, he’s not fully sure as he never comes down this way. His father always told him the servants' lives mean nothing, and therefore he should treat them as such. And so he does. He calls them to his room from time to time whenever he needs to feed and is too lazy to go into the town.  _

_  
There’s a new maid, a lady who comes from riches but couldn’t accept the lifestyle that came with it. Jeno had only noticed her eight weeks prior, her golden hair standing out among the black hair the servants usually sport. He waits in her small room, only big enough for a small single bed and dresser. There’s dust floating through the air, having been kicked up when he opened the door to enter. The sound of giggles and voices whispering travel down the hall being picked up with his sensitive hearing. He only has to wait a few seconds longer before the beautiful maid enters.  _

_  
Her giggles die out into shock before even that is quickly replaced with a bright smile, her blue eyes lighting up at the sight of him. He reaches a hand out, which she quickly takes as she’s pulled into his chest.  _

_  
“I was beginning to worry I’d never see you again,” her accent is still on the thick side as she hails from a far away land in central Europe. But Jeno doesn’t mind as he wraps an arm around her waist. “Your brother seemed rather startled when he saw us,” she leans forwards on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his cheek, light and sweet.  _

_  
“Donghyuck won’t tell anyone, I’ve had a word with him and sworn him to secrecy. Father is away for the week regarding business and mother is busy with her friend. We have nothing to worry about.” The young maid smiles brightly, eyes full of love as she gently pulls away from him. She turns towards the dresser and begins untying her apron leaving her in her maids gown.  _

_  
“Does that mean I’ll be seeing you more often, my love?” Jeno doesn’t respond, instead he looks her over, eyes dark and face void of emotion. “I actually have something to talk to you about since you’re here. I saw the royal physician this morning about my consistent morning sickness.”  _

_  
“Do tell Alaina,” Jeno is already very aware of what his little fling is about to say. He could sense a second heartbeat when around her recently. A child was growing in her.  _

_  
His to be exact.  _

_  
“Well,” Alaina turns to face him before slowly rejoining him. Her hands rest on her stomach as she looks at her feet. “She believes I may be pregnant. Of course there’s no way to tell just yet. She said it’s best to wait a few months when the baby has grown big enough to show.”  _

_  
“That’s wonderful news my darling Alaina.” He forces a smile to hide the wicked smirk that tugs at his lps.  _

_  
“I wanted to know what you thought would be the best thing to do. Since I’m a maid afteral..” her voice trails off, but her smile never leaves.  _

_  
“Well it’s obvious is it not?” The young girl's smile falters as she lifts her head. She can’t be any older than sixteen, seventeen at most. A bright future ahead of her and a child on the way. “I’ll need to dispose of you and that thing just like the one before you. What was her name again? Ah yes, I do believe it was Maria. Such a nice girl. It’s a shame she got knocked up. She really was my favorite gardener.” _

_  
“Wh-” she’s cut off as gurgling fills the room. A deep red stains the grey dress she’s wearing before pooling at her feet. Jeno watches with a sick fascination as the gash in her neck seems to bleed endlessly. Red splatters paint the once white bed sheets and his once white shirt. There’s even some on his face, but he makes no move to wipe it clean. _

_  
A dull thud is heard as her body falls to the ground landing in a heap. There’s a smirk on his face, a wicked look in his eyes as he stomps down on her stomach, bones breaking under the pressure with a loud cracking. Even more blood oozes onto the stone floor as two heartbeats come to a stop as they beat their last. Jeno lifts his hand up before licking his fingers clean of any blood.  _

_  
“Clean it up dear brother. If anyone asks, she went back to Germany in the night.” He passes his brother by without another word as he lets the door shut behind him. _

************************************************  
  
Jeno feels sick at the memory. He can feel his chest tightening and his throat burning as he tries to not throw up. The memories only seem to get worse and worse as he gets older. He never truly realized just how many years were missing. His body slowly grows used to the gory scenes and horrible screams that follow them. The image of blood spilling onto countless tiled, wooded, and stone floors becomes untraceable. They all begin to blur together as they continue to play without end. There’s memory, however, that stands out like a sore thumb. It’s a rather recent one, only four or so years old. 

_  
It’s of a smiling teen, no older than sixteen. His hair is freshly bleached blond, ready to be dyed a vibrant color. Pink, Jeno remembers hearing the male mention it as his favorite color. He remembers the vibrant smiles flashed in his direction during the school days. He remembers how the other would cuddle into his side during their study sessions, insisting he didn’t like the dark and that Jeno made him feel safe. Jeno can even vividly remember what the blonds house looked like.  _

_  
It was a two story, pale blue home, with flowers lining its frame. There was even a lone rose bush near the mailbox that Jeno adored. The younger teen had captured his attention in such a short time span, that Jeno had feared he’d grown weak. At the age of 196, he had only ever loved one person, a boy from Seoul. He had claimed the boy within a week of their study nights beginning. It hadn’t been planned, but he refused to lose the other to some other student in their grade. So, he took matters into his own hands.  _

_  
Jeno had made sure they’d have the weekend to themselves, even going as far as to compel the other to cancel any potential plans. It had worked wonderfully as he had the younger's attention purely on him for all three days. He remembers the curious eyes and experimental hands that wouldn’t leave him be. He can even recall what kind of scream the younger had let out once his fangs had pierced the tan skin on the others left thigh where his mark now lays.  _

_  
It was blissful as he bit deeper, blood seeping from multiple bite marks surrounding the skin. Jeno would have to say his favorite spot to feed from, would definitely be the boy’s thighs.  _

  
A shiver ran through his body as his head twitched. He missed feeding from his sweetheart. The sweet boy who would easily listen to his every word like his life depended on it. He craved to have the familiar touch in his hair as he fed. A reminder that the teen belonged to him, and him alone. Standing, he looked around the room before frowning. It was only a slight twitch of his face, only those who knew him could see the difference. Instead of finding who he was looking for, he found his mother and some strange lady. 

  
“Jeno, sweetie, how are you feeling?” His mother asked, but he simply turned around, hand already grabbing for the door. “Jeno, I asked you a question.” Her voice was demanding, yet he still opened the door.   
  


“Tell me where my Minnie is or I’ll make you suffer, mother.” His own voice was cold and just as demanding. 

  
“Not until we discuss what I had you brought here for. Once you carry out your end of the deal, then we can discuss that wretched thing.” Jeno whipped around, hand around his mother's neck within seconds, eyes a deep silver as he bared his fangs. 

  
“I suggest you think before speaking, especially about my Minnie. I’ll let you off this once since I’ve already wasted enough time in here. Bad mouth him again, and I’ll make sure it’s your last words.” With that, he set her down and stormed from the room. He wasn’t aware of the layout of the house, as his mother must have purchased it recently. Making his way down the halls, he found himself back at the main entrance. 

  
There were no longer people shuffling about, except a maid or two who would pass by most likely cleaning the spaces nearby. He stopped one of them and asked for directions to any potential feeding rooms, or places where his mother may hold captives she didn’t intend to harm straight away. He was led down a side hall to a section of the manor that was closed off to everyone except those with permission to enter. The maid stopped outside one of the farther rooms, her hand motioning towards the door before leaving. Jeno took a second to look the door over before opening it. The room was dim, but still had enough light to see what was inside. On one side, lay a number of countless bodies all motionless. There was both fresh and drying blood everywhere, even puddles that looked ankle deep. Jeno picked up on a familiar scent almost instantly as he stepped deeper into the room. Under an overhead light sat a lone chair, a figure strapped to it via chains around their wrists, ankles, and neck. The figure whimpered as a stranger stroked their cheek while muttering something. 

  
Jeno could only see red as he stormed over to the two. No one was allowed to touch what was his, and if they did, he’d make sure they never walked again. Grabbing the man by the back of his head, he slammed it into the concert flooring over and over without mercy. The sound of sobbing broke him out his daze as he let the man's now mushed head go.

  
“Minnie~! I missed you.” Jeno turned to the figure strapped to the chair, a big grin on his face. The younger however only sobbed harder. There were tear tracks staining Jaemins cheeks as well as dried blood on his lips. When Jeno leaned in closer, he could see bite marks littering the younger's neck and wrists under the chains. “My poor baby, let’s get you cleaned up.” As he roughly yanked on the chains, they gave in falling to the floor with an echoing  _ clank _ . 

  
“N-nono, I wanna go h-home..” Jaemin sobbed, voice hoarse. Jeno ignored him as he lifted the pink haired male bridal style and carried him from the room. He made his way back down the halls and back upstairs, only stopping when he reached the first bedroom he came across. Stepping inside, he made sure to shut and lock the door to keep anyone from coming inside. Next, he sat Jaemin down on the toilet as he turned the shower on.

  
Once they finished, Jeno helped Jaemin get dressed into a fresh pair of underwear and a shirt. He also threw on some clean clothes not really caring about if they matched or not. Since the younger was still jumpy, Jeno placed him on the bed before standing at the edge of it, eyes scanning the other over. Jaemin seemed to flinch at the slightest sounds, even if it was just the air conditioner turning on. 

  
“My sweet Minnie, you must be hungry,” Jeno cooed as the pink haired male turned to look at him. Jaemins eyes were wide while his arms and knees were pressed to his chest making him appear smaller. The boy reminded Jeno of a scared rabbit. 

  
“Can we go home now? Junnie and the others are probably worried about us…” Jeno scowled as he watched the other look around clearly afraid. “Taeyong promised-” 

  
“Taeyong doesn’t get to be on your mind. He’s a no good dirty liar who only cares about himself and Jaehyun.” Jeno wasn't hesitant in his thoughts as he placed a knee on the edge of the bed. Jaemin responded by pushing himself harder against the headboard in an attempt to escape. “I’m the only one that should be on your mind. That Renjun boy doesn’t even love you. He’s just using you Minnie. They’re all just using you.” 

  
“You’re lying. My nono isn’t mean. He’s nice and loves everyone, especially his brothers!” There’s a dark chuckle as Jeno leans forward grabbing onto Jaemins ankle and forcing his leg to stretch out fully. 

  
“Oh darling, you’re delusional. I couldn’t force myself to care about those two even if my life depended on it. They’ve done nothing for me or for you. They’re better off dead and buried six feet under anyways.” Jeno smiled at the small squeal that Jaemin let out as his other leg was forced away from his chest. “Just like all the others that tried to get between us.” 

  
“You’re wrong!” Jaemin screamed trying to kick at the other, but Jeno was quicker as he tightened his hold. “You’re not Jeno. You’re some fucked up version in a nightmare I’ll wake up from.” Jeno laughed. A true chest rumbling laugh as he let his head tip forward, his bangs falling to cover his eyes. 

  
“If this is a nightmare, then you dream up some seriously interesting shit sweetheart.” There was a gasp from above him as he leaned in closer. He was now only mere inches from the younger. He could hear the way Jaemin gulped, along with the shifting of the shirt the younger was wearing as he moved his hands. “Why don’t you let me prove to you this is reality, huh?”


	6. VI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING FOR FORCED STARVATION, DEPICTIONS OF PHYSICAL ABUSE, AND MENTIONED PANIC ATTACK. 
> 
> As always, areas will be marked with asterisks ( * ). 
> 
> THERE IS ALSO A DEATH OF AN IMPORTANT CHARACTER TOWARDS THE END OF THE CHAPTER, YOU MAY SKIP IT IF THESE TYPES OF SCENES BOTHER YOU.

There was a muffled scream as Jaemin bit down on his hand. His teeth digging deeply into the flesh causing blood to drip down onto the shirt he was wearing. The item was baggy to the point of the fabric pooling between his thighs no matter how he sat. Jaemin could feel the olders fangs as they continually created new bite marks. Before long, his thighs were littered in them. Some were deeper than others as Jeno had brought it upon himself to bite harder whenever Jaemin tried to pull his legs away. 

  
The younger could feel his body shaking slightly with silent sobs as he was left alone. Jeno had gotten up to change his shirt after blood and begun to stain it. He felt alone and confused. He didn’t recognize the man in front of him. The Jeno he knew and loved was sweet and caring, he could never harm a fly. But the man who had taken Jaemin from that horrible room was wearing his lover's face. He didn’t want to face the other any time soon, so he forced his body to roll over, ignoring the screams of protest. Forcing his eyes closed, he prayed he'd fall asleep soon and that the scary man wouldn’t wake him anytime soon.

  
//

  
Jaemin wasn’t sure how long he had been asleep for, but his legs had become stiff and his head was beginning to hurt. Slowly sitting up, he noticed the person pretending to be Jeno was asleep next to him. Being as careful as possible, he slipped out of the bed. Taking his first step caused his legs to almost collapse from the sudden weight on them. Checking behind him, he let out a silent sigh before turning his attention back to walking. He waited a few seconds before trying again, this time he was able to take a small step. Between each step, he’d wait a few seconds before trying to move in the direction of the bathroom. Once he made it, he gently shut the door and turned the light on, hissing faintly at how bright they were. Covering his eyes with one hand, he moved over to the counter and turned the faucet on before wetting a small hand towel. When he was done, he turned the water off then sat on the toilet seat with his legs spread slightly. Even though he didn’t need to breathe, he inhaled a deep breath before looking down at the bite marks. It seemed like some of the more shallower ones had already closed up in some spots. Closing his eyes, he reopened them and set to cleaning his thighs of any left over blood that’d dried. He was forced to bite his lip a few times as a number of the deeper bites caused a searing pain to shoot through his body when the hot cloth touched them. By the time he had finished, the once grey cloth now looked like a poorly done tye-dye job. With shaking hands, he dumped the cloth into the hamper and leaned forward so his elbows were resting on his knees and his head in his hands. 

  
Jaemin could only hope that Renjun was okay and being taken care of while he was stuck wherever he was. He wasn’t too sure how long he’d been there already since the room he was in lacked windows or any potential way to track time or the days. While in his own train of thoughts, he neglected to hear the footsteps coming towards the bathroom. Only when hands wrapped around his wrists did he remember he wasn’t alone. 

  
“Minnie, what are you doing in here? You should be sleeping,” Jaemin refused to look up, even when a thumb gently wiped his cheeks clean of any tears.  _ When had he started crying? _ He was startled by the sudden realization, but he still kept his head down. 

  
“I couldn’t sleep.” His voice was barely above a whisper as he looked towards the trash can under the counter. “My legs were hurting and I needed to clean the blood off..” There was a soft hum from above him as the older slowly stood. 

  
“Let's get you back in bed. Sitting on the toilet won’t help.” He was lifted bridal style and carried back over to the bed. Instead of being laid down, he was placed on the edge so his legs were dangling over just above the floor. “Would you like me to stretch your legs?” Jaemin shrugged, not really caring what happened. He already figured he didn’t really have a say in what happened at this point. 

  
So instead of speaking, he watched as Jeno gently pushed him so he was laying on his back. Next, the older lifted his right leg so it was as straight as possible without hurting him. It was held there for a few seconds before slowly being lowered, and the same was done with his left leg. The process was repeated for a few minutes until they weren’t as sore anymore. Jeno even helped him to his feet before helping him to take a few steps. 

  
“Do they still hurt?” There was a clear frown on the olders face. Normally Jaemin would feel guilty seeing the other upset, but he found himself not even remotely bothered. 

  
“Only a little bit. They’ll just need to be moved over the next day or so to get the muscles to loosen up again.” Jaemin mumbled as he sat back down. Jeno seemed to be contemplating something before moving to lay back down. Jaemin didn’t ask what was on the olders mind as he let his body fall backwards onto the mattress. 

  
The room was quiet allowing Jaemin to focus on nothing as he stared upwards. The bed they were laying in had a canopy above which allowed for silk coverings to hang off the edges. They only came down mid way so they didn’t fully block one's view of the bed or vice versa. Some shifting occurred form beside him before Jeno sat up again seeming unable to fall back asleep. Jaemin glanced at him from the corner of his eye not expecting the black haired male to already be staring at him. Looking away quickly, he missed the flash of hurt that crossed the others eyes. 

  
//

  
The first few days were alright in Jaemins opinion. He missed Renjun and the others even more considering he didn’t know if he’d ever see them again. What he didn’t miss was when Jeno would leave the room before making sure Jaemin couldn’t follow at any point. He’d be left alone for hours on end, sometimes only seeing Jeno once when the older would come back to feed. During those times, Jaemins thighs would be littered in fresh bites before being cleaned. Jeno would then either leave again and not return, or would lay next to the younger, head buried in his chest as he fell asleep. In order to keep himself distracted, Jaemin would resort to combing his fingers through Jenos silky hair or counting the number of objects around the room. 

  
During the rare times when Jeno would stay in the room with him, the older would force him to stand to keep his legs stretched, but he would refuse to let the younger feed. Jaemin couldn’t remember when the last time he fed was. He knew he had fed some time shortly before leaving to get their gift for Renjun, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint the exact date. Scowling, he threw one of the pillows off the bed. He was irritated and hungry. He was even more so bored than anything else. There wasn’t anything for him to do, and it’d been days since he was locked away in his current room. 

***********************************  
  
“It’s been like five days. Can I at least leave the room with you by my side?” He pleaded with Jeno, desperate for some sort of escape. The only reply he got was a shake of the head as hair tickled his chin. Jeno had just come back from wherever it was he spends his time. Jaemin could smell the faint traces of blood on the other making his stomach rumble and throat burn as if acid was continually poured down it. “Can I at least feed? Even just a little?” 

  
“You don’t need to feed, You’re perfectly fine.” Jenos voice was muffled as he placed light kisses along Jaemins neck and shoulder. 

  
“Nono I haven’t fed in nearly a week. I can barely sit up at this point. Please? I’ll do anything for just a little taste,” He was desperate at this point. He wouldn’t even be mad if all he got was a single lick of the red liquid. 

****************************  
  
There was silence as he waited for something. A reply, a slap, a scoff. Just something that would allow him to receive an answer. At the sound of fabric ripping, his eyes widened expecting the worse to happen. Instead, Jeno lifted himself from where he was laying on the younger and moved so he was now sitting with his back against the headboard. Jaemin was shifted so he was now straddling the olders thighs, his hands resting on Jeno’s shoulders for support. The ripping he had heard was Jeno ripping his own shirt causing the collar to tear exposing his neck and shoulder fully. 

  
“Well, what are you waiting for, princess?” Jaemin didn’t wait a second longer before biting down. His mouth was quickly flooded with a heavy iron taste, but he couldn’t get enough of it. It was like he was feeding for the first time all over again. He could feel hands on his waist as they squeezed before moving to rest on his thighs. Jaemin quickly blocked them out as he let his mind focus solely on the need to feed. 

  
When he pulled away, his lips were stained a deep red as a small bit dripped off the edge of his bottom lip. He didn’t remember biting multiple spots as a few bloodied bite marks decorated Jenos shoulder. He didn’t dwell on the matter for long, instead looking up to see a smirk on the others face. 

  
“Better?” Jaemin nodded not being able to trust his own voice. “I’m glad, can’t have you dying on me because of starvation.” Jaemin merely licked his lips clean choosing to ignore those last words. 

  
//

  
It wasn’t long before Jaemin began to suffer from random time lapses. Certain events, or bits of time seemed to go missing from his memory. When he’d bring it up with Jeno, the other would just wave it off before discussing something else. Jaemin didn’t push for answers at first since nothing else seemed out of place. But when he started waking with bloodied shirts and sheets, he began to ask questions. Jeno of course wouldn’t answer any of them, sometimes going as far as to threaten him to keep quiet. It never worked as Jaemin thought the older wouldn’t hurt him. 

  
He had been extremely wrong to believe for even a second he was safe. 

*****************************************************  
  
On the eleventh day, he found himself cornered in the bathroom. He had locked the bathroom door before squeezing himself under the counter. Jeno had come back, a smile on his face before it had turned to a scowl. Jaemin hadn’t been given any time to ask what was wrong before a hand was around his ankle forcing him off the bed and onto the floor. His head was still spinning from the impact just a few minutes earlier. Jeno had begun to yell and snap at him for smelling like someone else which only hurt Jaemins head even more. He couldn’t understand what Jeno was talking about as he wasn’t allowed out of the room, and nobody else ever entered. Jaemin had barely managed to escape to the bathroom while Jeno had turned his back to him. It was probably smarter for him to have run out the unlocked door, but in his moment of panic, he ran for the bathroom which had been closer. 

  
The banging on the door had come to a halt, but he didn’t trust the silence to be safe, so he remained where he was. His hands were pressed over his ears making everything fuzzy and muffled. It didn’t take much effort for him to slip into his thoughts. In doing so, he didn’t notice the doors handle falling onto the tiles. The door soon joined it as it was yanked off its hinges. Light flooded the room as Jaemin curled further in on himself. 

  
“Get up,” Jaemin let out a pained whimper as his arm was yanked forcing him to his feet. Jeno dragged him from the bathroom and back over to the bed before shoving him roughly. The force caused Jaemin to lose his balance as he went tumbling forward. 

  
His vision went white for a few seconds while a warm liquid ran down his face from a gash just above his eyebrow.  _ That really fucking hurt! _ Jaemin thought to himself as he placed a hand over the wound. Looking in front of himself, he saw the edge of the bed frame, a smudge of blood on the corner. Without warning, a hand was in his hair forcing his head backwards in order for Jeno to see his face. There was nothing but a blank look meeting his own face full of fear. 

  
“Are you going to tell me the truth now?” 

  
“I already told you the truth!” Jaemin yelled, his hands moved up to grip at Jenos own as he tried to pry the olders hand off. “I haven’t seen anyone besides you! I have no way to get out of here. You’ll just find me again in the end.” Jaemin quickly grew tired of their argument. They’d been going back and forth for hours by now. 

  
“I beg to differ Jaemin. If you haven’t seen anyone else, then why do you smell like someone else?” Jeno yanked his hand up pulling Jaemins hair in the process making the younger scream. 

  
“I don’t know! You bring me clothes. You make me wear these shirts! Maybe someone else was wearing them before then.” Jaemin was afraid that Jeno would rip his hair out if he continued to pull on the fading pink locks. Rather than a verbal response, Jaemin got another tug on his hair before the hand finally vanished. He let out a relieved sigh as he let his body relax. 

  
The calm only lasted a few moments before he was being shoved to the floor again, a weight on his chest kept him from being able to move. Jaemin wasn’t given any time to react before two hands were squeezing his neck tightly. The unexpected action sent him into a panicked state as he thrashed about under Jeno. The older vampire only appeared to get angrier as the seconds ticked by. His grip grew impossibly stronger as if he intended to snap the younger's neck. Jaemin clawed and scratched at the hands around his neck along with Jenos arms. He tried to scream or plead, but his voice wouldn’t come out no matter how much he willed it. 

  
His vision in his right eye grew red as the blood from his injury collected onto his lashes weighing them down. His vision in his left eye grew black around the edges as his body began to grow weaker and weaker. Between not feeding enough, lack of sleep the last few nights, and his adrenaline wearing off, he knew he wouldn’t be able to keep struggling. 

  
Jaemin’s eyes snapped to the left as the bedroom door slammed open. In the doorway stood three familiar figures. Something seemed to snap in Taeyong when their eyes met, as the elder was ripping Jeno off with ease. It reminded Jaemin of a father lifting their infant up with zero effort. Harsh coughs racked his body as he rolled onto his side trying to calm himself down. He could hear arguing along with things being broken but he ignored them. Rolling back onto his back, he closed his eyes willing everything to just stop so he could have a moment of silence. 

*********************************************************************  
  
//

  
Opening his eyes, Jaemin could tell he was back at the Lee house. Specifically the lounge where he was currently laying on one of the many pieces of furniture. Carefully sitting up, he took a minute to look the room over. He was currently the only person in the room which relieved him as it meant he wouldn’t be needing to answer any questions right away. Swinging his legs over the edge, Jaemin slowly stood, hand gripping the arm of the couch he had just been laying on. When he was sure he was stable enough to walk, he let the couch go before taking a few steps forward. When he didn’t crumble to the floor, he took it as a good sign. Continuing forward, he made his way to the stairs. Taking a second, he checked for any noise or any sign that someone was nearby. Not finding any, he grabbed the rail and began his way upstairs. 

  
Reaching the second floor took a lot more effort than he would’ve liked, but there wasn’t much Jaemin could do about it. Letting the rail go, he used the wall as a means to keep his balance as he made his way down the hall to his room. Stopping outside the familiar door, he was surprised that he hadn’t run into anyone so far. He would’ve expected at least one person to be out and about. 

  
“Must be in a meeting or something..” Jaemin mumbled as he grabbed the door handle. Opening the door, he let out a horrified gasp at the scene before him. The room was an absolute mess. He could barely see the wooden floor boards beneath all the torn articles of clothing and broken objects. The room reeked of stale air and dried blood. But what really terrified him, was the small figure sitting in the middle of the mess, a fresh pool of blood forming under them. 

  
“Renjun!” Jaemin shrieked as tears quickly formed in his eyes, however, the older didn’t respond. “What are you doing?” He rushed over to the older, nearly slipping in the pool of blood. “Oh my god, baby are you okay?.” He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Renjun was littered in scratches and cuts, but what really worried him were the gashes in the smallers thighs. Grabbing the shirt's collar, Jaemin ripped Renjuns shirt to look for more injuries but found none hidden away. Noticing the empty smile on the others face, Jaemin gently grabbed Renjun by the shoulders before shaking him while calling his name. 

  
“The moon looks it’s brightest tonight. Don’t you think so Jaeminnie?” Jaemin screamed Renjuns name as he fell limp in his arms. He quickly grew panicked as he hugged the olders body to his chest. 

  
“Injunnie please wake up. I just got home...you can’t leave me yet.” He begged for the older to wake but Renjun remained unmoving. He couldn’t even bring himself to scream for help as he was too shocked. 

  
Everything seemed to move so slowly as someone removed Renjun from his arms. Another set lifted him up and brought him out of the room. He felt so empty seeing Renjun laying limply in Marks arms. He wasn’t sure who was holding him, but it didn’t matter as he closed his eyes and prayed to every deity he could think of to bring his lover back to him. 

  
//

  
Jaemin had been in and out of consciousness over the next couple of days as he recovered from what had happened to him. When he was finally able to keep his eyes open for longer than a few minutes, he took the chance to climb out of bed. He wasn’t sure whose room he was currently in as he didn’t recognize it, but it didn’t stop him from leaving. The hall was eerily silent as he made his way to the staircase. There only seemed to be the lone room on this floor meaning he’d been placed on either the fourth, or five floor. Making his way downstairs, he came to a stop once reaching the second floor. Again, everything was eerily silent as he headed for the bedroom. He had hoped the horrible event from days past was merely a horrible nightmare. Something his stress riddled mind had conjured. 

  
Reaching the room in question, he noticed the door was opened and that the light was on but there wasn’t anyone inside. Stepping in, Jaemin noted how the room was spotless. The only signs of the horrific event being the missing tv, lack of photos, and new bed frame. Everything else looked the same as how they left it. Turning to his right, he made his way to the bathroom. He hadn’t gotten the chance to see it then, but now he was grateful he hadn’t. The large mirror that once sat above the sink was gone, the only thing remaining was the metal frame that once housed it. The sink itself had small cracks in its porcelain, most likely from the same impact the mirror faced. The counter remained undamaged as far as he could tell as it was the same black granite as before. 

  
Jaemin ran his hand over the shower curtain before leaving back to the main room. He wasn’t sure what could’ve possibly caused Renjun to snap like he did. He understood that his and Jenos sudden absence could’ve played a huge role in Renjuns mental and emotional health taking a hit. But not enough to lead to the olders self destruction. 

  
“Taeyong said he’d have the mirror and sink replaced sometime this week. He said the sink was fine to use in the meantime as it didn’t leak when they tested it this morning.” Jaemins' head whipped to the right at the sound of someone speaking. “Donghyuck is looking into getting the photos replaced. He thinks there’s a file on either Taeyong or Tens laptop with backups. He’s not fully sure though, so it may take a little while.” 

  
“R-Renjun...you’re okay?” Jaemin wanted to cry as he looked the older over. Renjun was paler than usual, his eyes empty as he seemed to be staring at   
something in the room. 

********************************  
  
“If all the shit I put myself through before stabbing the shit out of my thighs couldn’t kill me, then I doubt stabbing myself with a chunk of plastic could do it.” There was no emotion in the smaller's words as he pulled his sleeves over his hands. Jaemin noticed how Renjun was wearing shorts, his thighs wrapped in crisp gauze, most likely just changed. 

  
“Why would you do something so harmful? What would you have gained from it?” Jaemin asked as he gently pulled the other into a hug making sure to avoid any injuries. Renjun remained still in his arms, not making any move to hug back.

*********************************  
  
“I wanted to feel something. I didn’t care what, just something to prove I was still alive.” Jaemin pulled away when Renjun gently pushed his arms. The older stepped back, putting space between them shortly after. “After you guys didn’t return, I just felt empty. Like I was existing purely to exist. Like I was a corpse walking long after its death.” 

  
“You could’ve done so many things to make yourself feel something. So, so many things Jun. Why resort to something so harmful and dangerous?” 

  
“They wouldn’t let me leave and kept me locked in here. It all became too much so I did the first thing that came to mind. I suppose it brought me down a spiral of dark thoughts and actions. I’m not sorry for what I did in case you’re looking for an apology.” Renjun turned making his way over to the bathroom. Jaemin simply watched before sighing.

  
He waited a few seconds to see if the other would exit, but when the sound of water running drifted through the closed door, he decided to leave. Jaemin would give him space in hopes of Renjun recovering from whatever mental space he was in. In the meantime, he’d pay Taeyong a visit to discuss what to do. Making his way down to the first floor, Jaemin made sure not to draw any unwanted attention to himself as he slipped past the lounge and over to Taeyongs office. He wasn’t sure if the elder would be there, but it was the best lead he had at the moment. He knocked on the door before waiting a few seconds. Just as he was about to knock again, the door opened revealing Jaehyun. 

  
“You aren’t supposed to be awake yet,” the older frowned before opening the door wider and stepping to the side. “I think Kun’s getting a little rusty when it comes to his practices lately.”

  
“Do not question my friend's ability in a field he excels at Yoon Oh.” Jaemin looked between the two men as he entered the office. 

  
“I don’t know Yong, his predictions keep turning up far off than what they were centuries back.” The sound of a book hitting the large desk had both younger males flinching. Jaehyun soon shut the door before returning to his usual seat at the small table in the corner. 

  
“If you haven’t realized yet, half of the vampires in this clan clearly aren’t fully turned. Therefore, they react differently than me, the twins, Lucas, and Jisung. Now if you’re going to continue criticizing Kun, who is also a leading doctor in the medical field and has been for decades, then you can get up and leave my office. Are we clear Yoon Oh?” 

  
“Yes.” Jaemin could cut the tension in the room with a knife if he wished as it was strung so tightly. He didn’t dare look at Taeyong as the redhead picked up his book and placed it somewhere else on his desk. 

  
“What can I help you with Nana?” Taeyong's smile was always full of warmth and kindness. But it seemed almost like a facade of some kind in that moment. 

  
“I ran into Renjunnie earlier. I was just wondering if there was anything I could do to help him feel better? Or at least help him with handling his current state of thoughts?” He wasn’t given an answer straight away as Taeyong leaned back in his chair, one of his hands running through his hair. 

  
“I’ve already got Kun on a mission to figure out what’s best for his nephew at the moment. All you really need to do is keep an eye on him and to be there whenever he needs you to be.” Jaemin nodded as he rubbed his palms against his pajama bottoms. “The most important thing right now honestly is making sure he remains fed. His body is still recovering from the lack of feeding while you two were gone.” 

  
“I understand.” He soon left once the couple had begun to argue over something he didn’t understand, nor wanted to. On his way back to the staircase, he poked his head into the lounge. The only people he could see were Donghyuck who was curled up in a chair next to the book cases and Chenle who was sitting on the floor, back resting against the same chair. Neither seemed to notice him so he quietly left and headed back upstairs. 

************************************************  
  
Jaemin took his time as he admired the photos lining the walls. There were photos of the brothers, photos of the clan before the rest of them joined, and photos of just different members during little family-like moments. It made him smile knowing they could consider one another as family. He couldn’t say the same for his own family as he hadn’t seen them in nearly three years. His mother had up and left shortly after Jeno had asked him out and his aunt had soon forbidden his return after finding out herself. It didn’t bother him as he was never really close to them. It did make him a little upset however, knowing he’d never be able to experience the joy of telling his mother about future happenings. His thoughts were interrupted as he turned down the hall. The smell of blood wafting down the hall. It was too heavy to just be from a feeding or even a small cut. Rushing down the remaining hallway, he nearly tripped over his own feet as he turned into the bedroom. His body refused to move while his mind was going a mile a minute. There was blood staining the carpet from where it dripped down Renjuns left arm in large rivets. 

  
“J-jun..?” His voice was barely audible as his vision began to blur. “Nono why are you hurting Junnie?” Either Jeno couldn’t hear him, or the elder refused to acknowledge him. “Nono, please stop..” He reached a hand out to grab for the older, but he couldn’t reach. 

  
A scream ripped through his throat seconds later as Renjun fell limp to the floor, body resembling a ragdoll. The older lay with his eyes open but unmoving while Jeno stood above him, a smirk on his face. His mouth and chin were coated in scarlet while the thick liquid ran down his neck. Jaemin fell to his knees as he stared at the two before slowly crawling over to the lifeless corpse. A large hole sat at the center of Renjuns stomach from where blood poured. Jaemin lifted his hand before placing it around the gash in the other's neck. It was as if Jeno had intended to rip Renjuns throat out to keep him silent.

  
“It’s what he gets for touching what belongs to me.” Jeno spoke casually as he kicked Renjuns side roughly. Jaemin could feel his body going numb as he gently shook the older continuously. But nothing changed. Renjun didn’t move and Jeno continued to crack jokes like it was the funniest thing in the world. “Minnie why don’t we go do-”

*********************************************  
  
“Don’t touch me!” His voice sounded deeper than usual. Even Jeno looked surprised as he stepped back, hand still outreached. “Don’t you dare touch me ever again! You are  _ nothing _ but a monster who destroys and takes. You will  _ never _ be forgiven for as long as I live.” Jaemin watched as Jeno stumbled back even further before his back hit the wall. Something in him broke as he rose to his feet and stormed over to the older. 

  
“Minnie we can talk this out,” Jeno chuckled as he held his hands out in a defensive manner. 

  
“I am not your ‘Minnie.’ As of today, I am nobody's anything.” He reached a hand forward grabbing Jeno’s jaw and forcing the older to look at him. “I will make you rue the day you were ever born. I will make sure the rest of your existence is nothing but absolute hell. Do, you, understand, me?” Jeno quickly nodded as Jaemin released his jaw. Jaemin turned back around before settling back down on the floor. He gently lifted Renjuns head before placing it in his lap as he combed his fingers through the Chinese males hair. 

  
He ignored the sound of people rushing into the room along with all of the yells that followed. He ignored all the hands that pulled and touched him. But what he couldn’t ignore, were the hands trying to pry him away from his lover. 

  
“Enough,” the growl he let out was enough to have everyone freezing in their spots. “Nobody gets to touch my Injunnie.” Those who stood closest to them quickly backed away. Gasps filled the room as he glared at them. His once warm brown eyes were now an emerald green. Ten seemed to be the only one unfazed by the sudden change in the younger. 

  
“Nana, Kun needs to tend to Renjun if he wants any chance of survival.” Jaemin watched the older closely as he knelt down in front of him. “Taeyong is not a threat to you or to Renjun okay? He wants nothing more than to protect you from any further harm.” Jaemins eyes flickered towards the clan leader and as true to Tens words, the older seemed to be ready to attack at any moment, only calming when he realized Jaemin was safe.

  
“Will Injunnie be okay if I let him go?” He didn’t want to part with the smaller, but if it meant his survival then he’d have to live with it. 

  
“Yes, Kun will do everything in his power to keep him alive.” Jaemin reluctantly let go of the body in his arms. He had to fight every urge in him not to snap at Kun when the doctor lifted Renjun and left the room. “Everything will be okay.” Ten smiled but Jaemin could only focus on the smokey grey eyes looking back at him before everything went black.


End file.
